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Tamilnadu Anjaneyar Temple
The Luz Anjaneya Temple is the oldest temple dedicated to the Hindu God Hanuman, located in the city of Chennai, India. It is located in the neighbourhood of Mylapore in a district known as Luz. Mylapore is a neighborhood of the southern part of the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu in India. Mylapore is also known as Thirumayilai. Apart from being one of the oldest residential parts of Chennai, Mylapore is also a major commercial center. Mylapore is considered to be the cultural hub of Chennai. It is also home to plenty of important temples of Southern India.
This temple, also referred to as the Luz Anjaneya temple, was constructed by Salivahana Chettiars from Mysore who migrated and settled down in the city of Mylapore in the 18th century. Chettiar is the title used by mercantile castes in Southern India, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. In the year 2000, the Anjaneyar temple has celebrated its 200th anniversary.
History
Historically, the Chettiar caste claim to have a relationship with the Hindu god Murugan, also known as Subramaniam. According to legend, when Murugan married Valli, a native of a tribal group in Tamil Nadu, her tribe used to call Chettiyars. The Nawab of the Carnatic gave land to the Chettiars on which two Vinayaga temples were constructed. The Nawabs of the Carnatic are also called the nawabs of Arcot, and they ruled South India through the years 1690 untill 1801. The capital of this region was initially Arcot. This period was important in the history of Tamil Nadu as it was then that the Mughal Empire was declining, thus giving way to the rising Maratha Empire, and eventually, the British raj. During the construction of the temple, a well was being dugged and in the process the builders found an idol of the Hindu god Hanuman. This led to the construction of a Hanuman temple on the very spot of the discovery. A shrine to Rama, another Hindu God was built in the same complex in the year 1954. The Anjaneyar temple at Mylapore, was constructed at the behest of Jayendra Saraswathi, the Shankaracharya of Kanchi matha. The temple houses the tallest statue of Hanuman in Chennai, approximately 14 feet high.
How To Reach
By Air
Mylapore is located 5 km away from the domestic airport by car. Once at the airport frequent flights go from Chennai to all over India.
By Rail
The Thirumyilai Railway Station on the MRTS network connects Mylapore to Chennai Beach to the north and Velachery on the south. The Mylapore MRTS Station is accessible from Ramakrishna Mutt road near Luz corner. The station is located on the bank of Buckingham Canal. The Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System is a metropolitan railway line operated by Southern India Railway. It is also the first elevated railway line in India.
By Road
Mylapore is connected to other parts of Chennai through Metropolitan Transport Corporation busses (formerly known as Pallavan Transport Corporation). This route is connected with areas in Tamil Nadu such as Chennai Central, Theagaraya Nagar, Tambaram and Broadway.
Important Shrines
Currently, there exist shrines for Hayagreeva, Ganesha, Rama along with Lakshmana and Sita and Garud. These are all Hindu Gods. The corridors that surround the main shrine contain the idol of Hanuman in various forms such as Panchamukha Hanuman (five faced Hanuman) and Yoga Anjaneya. The Anjaneyar temple is dedicated to Sri Anjaneyar (a form of the Hindu God Hanuman).
Significance Of The Temple
The temple is famous for the koti archana, which refers to the one crore names of the Hindu God Hanuman, being recited over a time period of two years. The Hindu God Hanuman is one of the most popular gods of the religion and played a key role in the incarnation of Lord Rama.
Weather And Time To Visit
Chennai is usually inundated with tropical wet and dry climate since the city lies on the equator while simultaneously being on the coast as well. This prevents extreme variation in seasonal temperature. For most of the year the weather is hot & humid and the hottest time of year is between May end to early June. The coolest time of year occurs in the month of January and would be the best time to visit the Anjanayer temple, with temperatures ranging between 15 to 22 degrees Celsius.
Accomodation
Train and Air tickets can be booked by travel agents. Chennai is a major gateway to Southern India and Chennai International Airport includes Anna international terminal and the Kamaraj domestic terminal, which leads to a total passenger movement of 12.9 million a year. It is therefore the third busiest airport in India.
Tips For Devotees
One must carry water when visiting the temple, especially in hot weather such as the summer months between May and July.
Rules And Rituals Of The Temple
There are no particular rules for visiting the temple except you must remove shoes before entering the temple. Usually women also cover their heads when inside any Indian temple.
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