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Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Draupathi Amman, Velachery, Chennai

Draupathi Amman, Velachery, Chennai
Draupathi Amman is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Draupathi, wife of Pancha Pandavas located at Velachery, well-known locality of Chennai City in Tamil Nadu. This Temple is situated on the Draupadi Amman Koil Street at Velachery / Dhandeeswaram / Dhandeeswaram Colony.



Legends
Draupathi Amman is a goddess from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, namely Draupadi, primarily worshipped by the Tamil people of India, Sri Lanka and other countries. Draupathi was the wife of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata epic. The Draupathi Amman cult (or Draupathi sect) is a regional Hindu tradition in which a community of people especially Vanniyars worship Draupathi Amman as a village goddess with unique rituals and mythologies.


History
Draupadi Amman Temple at Velachery is supposed to be several centuries old. The village elders believe that most probably an ancestor belonging to the Aatreya Gothram built it some 300 years ago.  The Temple was completely ruined and the renovation was taken up by some devotees in the late 1990s.


The Temple
The temple is facing north with a sanctum and a mukha mandapam. The original temple was built with brick and it was told that the original temple was more 300 years old. The original brick temple was razed down and new temple was constructed and the second Kumbabishekam was also performed during 2010.



Presiding Deity is called as Draupadi Amman. She is in standing posture with a parrot on her shoulder in the sanctum. Krishna and Pancha Pandavas can be seen on the back side of Draupadi Amman. Utsava Idols are kept on the east side of the sanctum. Utsava Idol of Draupadi Amman was excavated on the same place where the sanctum exists. Sri Chakram is installed in front of Amman Mahameru.


The Tiruvasi was erected recently. It contains, flag, Jwala, Samaram and Suryan. A 1.5-foot-high Dwajasthambam and Pothuraja with his father’s head on his left hand in sitting posture can be seen in Antarala Palipeedam. Brahmi, Vaishnavi, Gowri, Varahi and Vishnu Durgai are the Koshta Idols located around the sanctum walls. Sculptures of Pancha Pandavas, Radha Krishna, Anjaneya can be seen on the mandapam pillars.


Temple Opening Time
The temple remains open from 06.30 AM to 08.30 AM and 06.00 PM to 08.30 PM.
Festivals
Annual festival is being celebrated every year during Tamil Month Chitrai 1st (May). It will be a 10 days festival and ends with a Theemithi Thiruvizha. The Theemithi Thiruvizha will be conducted after getting permission from Draupadi Amman. A sword was kept in a pot of water and the sword should stand straight, if Amman nods.  
Contact
Draupadi Amman Temple, 
#13A, Draupadi Amman Kovil 
2nd Street, Velachery,
Chennai – 600 042 
Mobile: +91 98848 55888 / 94440 22589 / 90948 72587
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about 200 meters from Dhandeeswaram Tank / Gandhi Road Bus Stop, 1.5 Kms from Vijayanagar Bus Stand, 5 Kms from Guindy Railway Station, 6 Kms from Thiruvanmiyur, 18 Kms from Tambaram Railway Station, 2 Kms from Velachery Railway Station, 5 Kms from Alandur Metro Station, 5 Kms from St. Thomas Mount Metro Station, 17 Kms from Chennai Central Railway Station, 15 Kms from Egmore Railway Station, 17 Kms from Koyambedu Bus Terminus, 6 Kms from Nangainallur, 6 Kms from Adyar and 12 Kms from Chennai Airport.
This Temple is situated on the Draupadi Amman Koil Street at Velachery / Dhandeeswaram / Dhandeeswaram Colony. Draupadi Amman Koil Street is just opposite to Gandhi Road. All the Town buses towards Velachery, Medavakkam, East Tambaram passes through Gandhi road bus stop and the temple is walkable distance from the bus stop. Nearest Railway Station is located at Velachery and Nearest Airport is Chennai Airport.
Location

References