Kandaswamy Temple, Georgetown – History
Chettiar is a wealthy merchant
community of South India. Beri Chettiar is a sub division of this community. In
the 17th century CE, a person Vellore Mari Chettiar by
name, who hailed from Beri Chettiar community, lived in the current George
Town, which was the prominent part of then Madras. He was serving as a merchant
under the British East India Company. Chettiar was a staunch devotee of
Subramanya. He, along with his friend Kandappa Achari (who was from
Vishwakarma community), used to visit Murugan temple located at Thiruporur on Kirthikai
day of every month.
One day, when they were
resting under a neem tree on their way to that temple, they accidentally
discovered an idol of Murugan buried under a snake-hole. Both of them felt very
happy. They took that idol along with them and installed it in a site where
there was a Pillaiyar temple originally (Rasappa Chetty Street in Park Town
area). It happened in the year 1673 CE. Chettiar had to pawn the jewels of
his wife to construct the temple.
Fortunately, he did not have
to spend to purchase the land, as it was gifted by Muthiyalu Naicken. In
1780 CE, the small temple was renovated by Chettiar community people. In 1860
CE, it was extended and converted into a stone temple. In 1869 CE, a person
Vaiyapuri Chettiar by name, donated Rs. 66,000 and a chariot. In 1880 CE,
Narayana Chettiar and Akkampettai Govinda Chettiar bought the land near the
temple and donated it to the temple, where Vasantha Mandap was built later.
In 1901 CE, Kali Ratna
Chettiar donated Rs. 50,000 to this temple. This fund was utilized to raise the
Raja gopuram. As there was Pillayar temple originally in the site, the original
temple predates the British period. The famous saint and poet Ramalinga
Adigalar, who lived in the 19th century CE, used to visit this
temple every day. This temple was a favorite place for the saint-poet
Vallalar Ramalinga Adigal who has sung the ‘Deiva Mani Mala’, a devotional poem
on the deity of this temple, Lord Kandaswamy.
