Sri Kalikambal Temple

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Overview

The Kalikambal Temple is located in the Thambu Chetty Street, Parrys, Chennai.

About the Temple

The Kalikambal Temple is dedicated to Divine Mother Shakti as Kalikambal and Sri Shiva as Kamateshwarar. Chatrapati Shivaji visited this temple to seek the blessings of Goddess Kalikambal. It has a modern Rajagopuram built and consecrated in the early 1980s. An inner mandapam leads one to the east facing shrine to the festival image of Kalikambal - Utsava Periya Nayaki. A south facing entrance leads one into the innermost prakaram of the temple, where the west facing sanctum is located. To its right is the shrine to Kamateswarar. A flag staff is situated directly across from the sanctum, in the western portion of the outer prakaram, which also has shrines to Ganesha and Subramanyar (Vada Katirkaman). In the northwestern corner of the outer prakaram is a cluster of shrines to Vinayakar, Veerabhadrar and Kali facing south. There are a few other shrines in the northern portion of the prakaram, where the yagasalai is also situated. In the north east corner of the outer prakaram is a large shrine to Natarajar and Sivakami. This shrine also serves as the alankara mandapam, where the festival image of Kalikambal is housed during the annual Bhramotsavam.

About The Deity

Kalikambal, the presiding deity of the temple, was once known as “Neithal Nila Kamakshi”, “Chennamman” and “Kottai Amman” (Kottai means fort in Tamil)

Legend and Stories

The temple was originally located closer to the sea shore and was relocated to the current site at 1640 AD. It was then built in 1678. Shivaji , the Maratha warrior and the founder of the Hindawi-Swarajya in the 17th century, had worshiped in this temple incognito on 3 October 1667. It is believed that a fierce form of Goddess was held in worship earlier and that this form was replaced with the shanta swaroopa (calm posture) form of Goddess Kamakshi.
The history of the temple goes back to a few hundred years. The great Maratha ruler Shivaji is said to have visited the Kalikambal shrine in Chennai, during his tour of the southern region of the Indian subcontinent. It is said that the original location of this temple was closer to the sea shore and that it was relocated to its present location during the period of British rule in India. It is also believed that a firece ugra form of the Goddess was held in worship earlier, and that this form was replaced with the Shanta Swaroopa form of Kamakshi, along with a Meru in the recent past.

Festivals

Fridays in general are considered to be of significance here. Of greater significance are Fridays in the tamil months of Thai (Capricorn) and Aadi (Cancer). The annual Bhramotsavam lasting for a period of 10 days is celebrated in the tamil month of Vaikasi (May 15 - June 15). The Vasantotsavam of the spring festival follows this celebration. The Vasanta Navaratri and the Navaratri festival involve the decoration of the mahamandapam in front of east facing shrine (of the processional image) with a unique facade lined with metal cymbals similar to those used in the kinnitter (or the chariot of cymbals) again unique to this temple.
The 10 day Margazhi festival in the month of Saggitarius (Dec 15 - Jan 14) involves the procession of an image of Manikkavacakar for a 10 day period, culminating in Arudra Darisanam, when the image of Nataraja is taken out in procession in the early morning hours, and the image of Kalikambal is taken out in procession in the evening. The Maasi Makam festival involves a procession of the deity to the seashore. The float festival celebrated once during prosperous times involved a procession in the month of Capricorn, three days after the full moon to the Kachabeswarar temple tank in the vicinity. Several other minor festivals are celebrated throughout the year.

Accessibility

Chennai has both domestic and international airports. Chennai Central, Egmore and Tambaram are the three railway stations in Chennai. Chennai is well connected by 5 highways to all the major cities as well as states.

Temple Address