Maasilamaneeswar Koil — Attraction in Tamil Nadu

The Maasilamaneeswara Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Thirumullaivoyal in the Chennai-Avadi road. The temple is incarnated by the hymns of Sundarar, Ramalinga Swamigal and Arunagirinathar. The presiding deity is revered in the Saivite canonical work, Tevaram and is classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.

The temple is believed to have been built by Cholas during 9th century CE and with significant additions from later Chola kings and by the subsequent ruling empires.

Legend: In ancient times, the forest surrounding Thirumullaivoyal was ruled by two notorious tribesmen, Vaanan and Onan from the Kurumbar tribe, feudal lords of the area. King Thondaiman wanted the area under his control . All his attempts went futile and finally he decided to defeat them in war. He set out for the war with his infantry and elephants and chariots. En route to the war, they had to wade through a dense growth of Mullai plants (Jasmine climbers). The foot of the elephant on which he was mounted got entangled in the dense foliage. The king and his men, in an attempt to free the elephant from this, went on to cut the wild twines with their swords and daggers. Suddenly they noticed blood gushing out from the leaves and found a 'lingam' bleeding. Shocked, the king was in great distress that he has committed a sin. Seeking mercy and forgiveness from Shiva, he prayed to him. Without any delay Shiva and Parvati appeared before the king. Shiva asked the King to build a temple for him right there and promised that he would reside there as Masilamaniswara, Shiva who is as precious as a gem, but without stains ['maasu' - dirty or stain (caused by the profuse bleeding), 'ila' - without, 'mani' - gem]. It is believed that Shiva also promised to support him in destroying the Kurumbars by sending his holy steed, the Nandi bull. This is why the Nandi in this temple faces outwards, ready to leave for the battle on the orders of Shiva, whereas in all other Shiva temples, it faces inwards facing the sanctum. Also the Presiding Lingam in this temple is shaped different and permanently covered in sandal paste, to signify this event and that the lingam is healing.

This temple is one of the Sakthi triad in the region of Tondaimandalam, the other two being Vadivudai Amman Temple at Tiruvottiyur and Thiruvudai Amman Temple at...

The three Sakthi Temples Ichchaa Sakthi - Thiruvudai Amman Gnaana Sakthi - Vadivudai Amman Kriyaa Sakthi - Kodiyidai Amman Chennai, Tamilnadu

The Sakthi to be visited third, in the evening is Kodiyidai Amman - Kriyaa Sakthi (the Devi who assists us in all our actions). Special prayers are to offered to this Devi by offering green saree & bananas for neivaedhiyam.

The Lord is Maasilaamaneeswarar.

The temple is located in Thirumullaivaayil (a place full of Mullai flowers - jasmine & hence the name), near Ambattur, Aavadi. Sthala Puraanam When Thondaiman was the ruler of Thondai Mandalam, people were tortured by unruly gangsters. The king set out to destroy them. But they were very powerful having gained the support of negative forces, by means of mantrams & tantrams. On his way back, the king's elephant caught its leg in a Mullai creeper. The king tried to cut the creepers with his sword. Blood started sprouting from the spot. The king cleared the spot & found a Svayambu Siva Lingam. The king was so upset that he had hurt the Lord that he raised his sword to cut off his own head. Lord Siva appeared along with Uma Devi, Nandi Devar & his ganas and blessed the king. He sent Nandi Deva along with the king to destroy the gangsters. The grateful king constructed a temple for the Lord. Since the Lingam was cut, a medcinal herbal sandal paste is appled to the Lingam (sandana Kaappu). The Devi sannadhi is seen to the right of the Lord's sannadhi. The Nandi idol instead of facing the Lord, is seen facing the entrance of the temple. It is believed that he is on the alert looking to vanquish the bad elements. There is a sannadhi for Thondaiman. In the outer prakaaram, there are the sannadhis of Vinayagar, Suryan, Virabadrar, Nagar, Lord Muruga with Valli & Deivayanai, Colzhapureeswarar &...

The Masilamaneeswarar Temple, located in Vada Thirumullaivoyal near Avadi, Chennai, was constructed by King Tondaimaan and is revered as the 22nd of the 32 Tevara Padal Petra Stalams in the Tondainadu region of South India. This sacred site has been celebrated by saints like Arunagirinadhar, Sundhara, Vallalar, and more, who composed devotional songs here, as documented in the Temple Kalvettu.Within the temple, Devi Kodiyidai Amman stands as one of the Tri-Shakti deities, representing Kriya Shakti, the Power of Activity. The other two temples in the Tri-Shakti trio include Melur Thiruvudai Amman Temple, symbolizing Iccha Shakti (Power of Will), and Thiruvottiyur Vadivudai Amman Temple, signifying Jnana Shakti (Power of Knowledge).A distinctive feature of the Masilamaneeswarar Temple is the unique Pallava architectural design of the vimana (roof) of the inner sanctum, known as GajaBrishtam, resembling the rear of an elephant. This architectural marvel rests upon a solid round base referred to as ThoonganaiMaadam, aptly described as 'a building that looks like the rear of a sleeping elephant.'Notably, the temple's Nandi, the divine bull and vehicle of Lord Shiva, faces in the opposite direction. This is believed to be a consequence of Nandi having once escorted a king in a battle against demons.The temple doesn't contain shrines for the Navgrahas or the nine planets, as Lord Shiva's presence dominates the spiritual ambiance.Devi Kodiyidai Amman, whose waist is likened to the fragility of a plant's stem, is known as KodiIdaiNayaki. Worshipping the Divine Mother on Poornima (full moon) days and Fridays is said to purify and liberate devotees from immoralities. Furthermore, it is believed that simply hearing the history of this sacred place can bring salvation to...