Thennangur Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple- Thiruvannamalai

Address

Thennangur, Vandavasi,

Thiruvannamalai district,

Tamil Nadu 603406

Moolavar

Sundareswarar

Amman

Meenakshi

Introduction

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is dedicated to God Shiva located at Thennangur Village in Thiruvannamalai District of Tamilnadu. The ancient name of the place now called “Thennangur” was Dakshina Halasyam. As this area was once full of forests, this was also known as Shadaranya Kshetra (6 Forests). Here the Presiding deity is called as Sundareswarar and Mother is called as Meenakshi.

Puranic Significance

Pandya King, desiring to have a child, was exhorted to have a yagna done with the help of Sapta Rishis. It was here, in Shadaranya this yagna was said to have been done and a girl child appeared in this yagna. The king took the child to Madurai, and named her Sri Meenakshi; therefore Dakshina Halasyam is the birth place of Sri Meenakshi. Hence this temple was built in memory of Meenakshi. Initially Guruji thought of constructing a temple for Lakshmi-Narayana. On the suggestion of stapathis, he decided to build Shaiva-Vishnu temple. At the time of construction, Kanchi Paramacharya was consulted regarding the name of the idol. And through him, it was learnt that the original name of the Thennangur is Dakshina Halasyam.

For the installation of Lord Sundaresa, Guruji went in search of a proper idol. When he was in Varanasi, at the time of taking bath in the Holy Ganges, he got a Bana Lingam from the Ganges with the Blessings of Gurunatha. The same was taken to Thennangur and installed there. Every year the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Kalyanam is performed in this temple.