மாசிலாமணீசுவரர் திருக்கோயில், வடதிருமுல்லைவாயில், திருவள்ளூர்
This ancient Paadal Petra Sivasthalam is found just west of Chennai and falls within one of the western suburbs of the city. Easily accessible, it is a popular and well known temple. There is another Paadal Petra Sthalam in the Kaveri Delta near Sirkazhi also known as Thirumullaivayil. Thus this temple near Chennai is known as Vadathirumullaivayil (the northern one) and the other Thenthirumullaivayil (the southern one). Sundarar rendered the pathikam here and he describes it in the 8th century.
There are some Pallava elements including some lion columns. But the bulk of the construction seems to have happened during the medieval Chola period. There is an inscription attributed to Uthama Cholan (CE 970-985). There is another describing the contribution made by his mother, the great Chola queen Sembian Mahadevi. This is the northernmost temple that she has contributed to. There is also an inscription from Parthivendravarman, Pallava prince and Chola feudatory from the same period which mentions the battle of Thakkolam fought nearby in the year 949. There are inscriptions from later periods including, Rajendran I (1012-1044) and other Chola kings up to the 13th century. There also inscriptions from the reigns of Jatavarman Sundara Pandian from the late 13th century and Vijaya Nagar kings like Harihara Raya II and Mallikarjuna Raya from the 14th and 15th centuries.
Legends abound here. It is said that this was a Mullai (a variety of Jasmine) forest in olden days and two tyrants named Vaanan and Onan inhabited it. They terrorized the local population and the king at the time named Thondaiman went out to subdue them. As the king was wading through Mullai creepers on his elephant, cutting through the thick jungle with his sword, he accidentally hit a lingam with his sword. He defeated the tyrants and built a temple for the Lord in the Mullai forest. He captured two massive wooden staffs made out of Vellurukku wood that were the symbols of power of the two demons. The two wooden pillars make up the entrance way to the sanctum sanctorum and are seen to this day.
At about an acre in area, this is a moderate sized temple with two prakarams. There is a 5 tier rajagopuram over the south entrance. The sanctums of the Lord and the Goddess are interchanged here contrary to usual custom. The goddess is on the left of the Lord or to the right as we face them. They are parallel to each other and face east. The sanctum sanctorum of Sivan has a Gajaprishta Vimanam or a Thoonganai Maadam commonly built in this region during the later Chola period. The Nandi here faces outwardly and in the opposite direction to the sanctum. It is customary for the Nandi to face the Lord. Legend says that the Nandi accompanied King Thondaiman on his expedition to subdue the demons on the Lord's instructions and hence the direction of the Nandi. Some other temples in the region have the same configuration with similar stories. The sthalavirutcham is of course the Mullai. There is a large beautiful temple pond which is the main theertham. There are numerous subsidiary shrines in the outer prakaram.
The temple is also important as a Shakti shrine. Together with the Vadivudai Amman at Thiruvottriyur ( Gnanasakthi - goddess of knowledge power), the Thiruvudai Amman at Minjur ( Ichasakthi- goddess of willpower), the Kodiydai Amman (Kriyasakthi - goddess of action) here is one of the three most important Sakthi sthalams in the Thondai Mandalam.
Sundarar describes the Lord here in the 8th century thus:
திருவுமெய்ப் பொருளுஞ் செல்வமும் எனக்குன்
சீருடைக் கழல்கள்என் றெண்ணி
ஒருவரை மதியா துறாமைகள் செய்தும்
ஊடியும் உறைப்பனாய்த் திரிவேன்
முருகமர் சோலை சூழ்திரு முல்லை
வாயிலாய் வாயினால் உன்னைப்
பரவிடும் அடியேன் படுதுயர் களையாய்
பாசுப தாபரஞ் சுடரே.
The temple is located about an hour's drive or 23 km from the centre of Chennai. We visited in August 2024.
Credits: Google Maps
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