Gangadareswarar Temple, Purasaiwakam – The Temple

Gangadareswarar Temple, Purasaiwakam – The Temple

This is a big east facing temple built in the typical South Indian architectural style. It has a beautiful 5-tiered Rajagopuram (tower), flag staff (Dhwaja Stambha) and Bali Peetha. The idol of Nandi (the divine bull) can be found facing the sanctum sanctorum similar to any other South Indian Shiva temple. Presiding Deity is called as Gangadareswarar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of small Shiva Linga. The wall surrounding the main shrine has the images of Ganesha, Dhakshinamoorthi, Vishnu, Brahma and Durga.

The mandapa opposite the main sanctum, from where you can also see the shrine for Goddess Pankajambal, is very modern. Apparently, it was constructed in 1964 when the temple was renovated. A rare stone image here, not usually seen in temples, is of Bhagiratha, a king who performed penance to Siva for bringing the River Ganga to earth from the heavens. Adjacent to the sanctum sanctorum, there is another shrine facing the east direction having Somaskanda idols.

Mother is called as Pankajambal. She is housed in a separate south facing shrine situated very near to sanctum. The temple also has another entrance, Bali Peetha and flag staff opposite to the shrine of Pankajambal. The smaller prakara (corridor) surrounding the shrines of Gangadareswarar, Somaskanda and Pankajambal have various idols and small shrines. The idols of Surya and Chandra are found facing the shrine of Gangadareswarar.

The idols of Nalvar, Nagaraj, Bhagiratha, Kasi Viswanathar, Veerabhadra, Sekkizhar, Kulachirai Nayanar, Surya, Shanmukha, Durga, Bhairava, Dakshina Murti, Chandikeshvara and another Bhairava are located in the small prakara.  The small shrines of Maha Ganapati, Subramanya with his consorts Valli and Devasena, Bala Subramanya, Nataraja Utsava (bronze) idol with Sivakami, Vaitheeswarar (Shiva Linga) along with Ganesha, Uchishta Ganapati with Siddhi and Shiva Linga with Manonmani.

The big prakara has the shrine where the bronze idols of 63 Nayanmars are placed. The walls have paintings depicting the stories of Lord Shiva. These are not old paintings. They are very recent time additions. There is a tree under which a Shiva Linga named Kurunda Malleswarar and Nandi are found. It is believed that the great devotee Manikavasagar preached under this tree. A new attraction is the giant idol of Lord Shiva along with Shiva Linga and Bhagiratha.

Another surprise for the devotees is a rare shrine of Satyanarayana in this temple. Bana Linga shrine, Navagraha shrine and Ramalinga Adigalar idol are also found in the big prakara. Sthala Vriksham is Purasai Tree (Flame of the Forest). It is said that there are seven tanks in this temple complex, however only one is seen nowadays.

There are idols kept in this temple belongs to Thiruvenbakkam, presently called as Poondi Shiva temple. While constructing the Poondi Reservoir, Presiding Deity Oondreeswarar, Mother Minnoli Ambal, Vinayagar, Subramaniyar and Bairavar were brought and kept in this temple. After some years the Idols were installed in this temple itself. After completion of the Poondi reservoir the present temple at Poondi was reconstructed and when asked to shift the original Idols, Lord Shiva has not given permission and stayed here itself.  One of the Nandhi’s horn is in broken condition due to hitting of Sundarar's oontrukol, which can be seen. 

Most of the ancient inscriptions are missing. Only one Chola inscription remain in the temple. This inscription dates to the 13^th Century CE. It registers a donation made by a man named Neelakankaraiyan to the temple in Thiruvanmiyur (probably referring to the Marundeeswarar temple). A few other inscriptions have also been found in this temple and these belong to the reign of the Vijayanagara emperors. One such inscription can be dated to the 15^th Century CE and perhaps belongs to Deva Raya I or Deva Raya II. It is written in the Tamil script of Vijayanagara times, but is unfortunately in a damaged condition, with only some portions readable.

On a stone slab found in this temple is another inscription belonging to the Vijayanagara times of the 16th century CE. It too is in Tamil. Unfortunately, this too is slightly damaged. It records that a person was employed in this temple to light the lamps daily. Another Vijaya­nagara inscription of the 16th Century CE found on the north wall of the sanctum sanctorum (garbha griha) is also in Tamil. This fragmented epigraph mentions devotees praying at the temple and giving gifts to the shrine.