Kumaran Kundram is a hillock on which a 40 years old temple is situated. At the Chromepet, Chennai, the temple is dedicated to Lord Muruga, which can be reached when you take the road from Chromepet to Hasthinapuram. The deity of the temple stands atop the hillock facing north, which is about 80 steps to reach from the base of the temple.
The History of Temple’s Construction
Chandra shekar endra Saraswati Swamigal was a saint who, in 1956, visited Chromepet. After looking at the hill, he was determined about building a temple there. This way, the work of building the temple was started, and during the construction work, about 20 years later, a weapon of Lord Muruga was found on the hilltop.
It was the Vel which was found, and which is considered as the most significant weapon of Lord Muruga given to him by Goddess Parvati. When people found Vel during the cleansing of the hilltop, they made a shrine for the Vel alone to worship it.
This inspired people even more, and they raced up the construction work. The deity of the temple was established in 1979, and later more deities were added too such as Shiva, Sarabeshwara, Ambal, and the Navagrahas. Now a group of trustees run this temple and maintain the structure to be visited by devotees.
There is a 5-tier Raja Gopuram was built as well. The actual work for the Gopuram was started in 2011-12 and concluded in January 2014. Since that time, several other constructions have been performed as well. This includes the renovation and painting work that is associated with the Mahakumbhabhishekam. Artha mandapam has been constructed as well that adjoins the Rajagopuram, and the Dwajasthambam (Flag Mast) has been hoisted too.
The Present Situation in the Temple
The temple has now been created in a way that facilitates the devotees to visit the temple and roam around easily. Several cultural and religious events like music and dance are held too. Other than these religious activities, the night of the full moon, also attracts many devotees around Chennai to perform the circumambulation of the small hill temple monthly.
The Soorasamharam day is also celebrated on a grand level, which is the sixth day of the Skanda Shasti event. There is a pond inside the temple that is known to never dry even in the summers, and it is known as Kumara Teertham.
One can easily reach the temple from the Chrompet railway station as it is just 1 km away. It is best to visit the temple on Fridays to witness the Special Pujas. The timings of the temple are from 6.30 am to 11 am and from 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
As per the legends, high altitudes are always dear to Lord Muruga. Hence every Muruga temple is built on an elevation; only the Tiruchendur is an exception. It looks magnificent when one reaches the top of the hill, and the entire atmosphere, along with the festivity, sets the mood for devotion. Those who love catching the moments in the camera are also going to find it pleasant because of the calmness and greenery all around.
It is such a gem to visit the Kumaran Kundram hill that is on the right on the borders of Chennai. The main Lord is Swaminatha, which is a replica of the original in Thanjavur.
The Series of Shrines in the Temple
There are different shrines that start from the base of the temple and lead you to the top, to the main deity. At the base, there are shrines for Vinayaka, Sri Kaliswari, Idumban, and navagraha. There are steps to reach the height and a rugged path as well, which runs along with the steps.
When you go a bit higher than the base, there is a small temple for Meenakshi-Sundareswarar. Reaching the top, there is the shrine of Swaminathaswamy, the Lord of the temple. The deity is built of granite, which looks beautiful, and the serene surroundings make it even more mesmerizing. The Kumara Tirtham works to supply the water and fulfills the need for water in the temple.
The temple offers a pleasant experience to the visitors that one should never miss on Fridays and during grand festivals like Skanda Shasti. There is so much more to explore from the tops of the Chromepet.
