India /Tamil Nadu /Chennai /Chennai
The Rathnagiriswarar Temple is located near the Besant Nagar bus terminus, Chennai. Edit
Detail InformationEdit
The Rathnagiriswarar Temple is dedicated to Sri Shiva as Rathnagiriswarar and Divine Mother Shakti as Aralakesi Amman. Over the years, the temple has grown in size. It attracts a large number of devotees every day. There are separate Sannadhis for Adi Sankara Bhagavadpada,. Lord Vinayaka (this Vinayaka Idol was originally worshipped by Ramana Maharishi at Thiruvannamalai), Sri Rathnagiriswarar, Sri Aralakesi Ambal, Sri Valli Deivayanai Sametha Sri Subramanya, Sri Rama, Sri Anjaneya, and Navagraha; in the Ghoshtams, Sri Durga, Sri Brahma, Sri Maha Vishnu, Sri Dakshinamoorthy and Sri Nardana Vinayakar are installed.
HistoryEdit
Sri Rathnagiriswarar Temple in Besant Nagar, owns and manages by Bhaktha Mandali (Regd). In 1969 the residents of Besant Nagar formed a Society and later registered it under the Societies Registration Act in 1972 under the name ‘Bhaktha Mandali (Regd)’. The various aims and objectives of this Society included place of worship for the welfare of the people in and around Besant Nagar, catering to the spiritual needs of a large number of devotees in South Madras. With this objective, Sri Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt was approached to seek His blessings for constructing a small temple. He blessed the project and foretold that the devotees would find a Sivalinga in the seashore off Thiruvanmiyur coast. He directed that this idol could be installed and a temple constructed. After a search for over three months, the devotees found the Siva Linga. Sri Mahadeva Iyer (father of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt in his poorvashrama) helped the devotees in retrieving the idol from the seashore and brought it to Besant Nagar. Sri Mahakalikudi Ramanatha Swamigal installed on the sacred day of Maha Sivarathri on the 7th March 1970, the Sivalinga at the place where the temple stands now. Sri Paramacharyal of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt named the Siva Linga as ‘Sri Rathnagiriswarar’ and asked the devotees to construct a pucca temple with His con-sort ‘Sri Aralakesi’. Sri Paramacharya instructed that the’ temple be constructed in line with the ancient temple at the Ayyarmalai in Kulitalai in Trichy District.
Must SeeEdit
Attraction
Visiting TimeEdit
N.A.
Closed OnEdit
N.A.
Best Season to VisitEdit
November to February.
Best Time To VisitEdit
Morning, Afternoon, Evening.
Time Required for SightseeingEdit
Minimum 30 minutes.
Ticket Required : No Edit
Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.
Kids Rs. : N.A.
Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.
Kids Rs. : N.A.
Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.
Video Camera Rs. : N.A.
Guide Required : No Edit
Approximate cost: N.A.
Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit
Dress Require: N.A.
Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit
- Turquoise ; Hotel Shan Royal, 85, Poonamallee High Road, In Hotel Shan Royal, Koyambedu. ; Ph/M – 91-44-26221212 ; Food Serve – Mughlai, Tandoori, Chinese, Multi-Cuisine.
How to ReachEdit
Taxi : Taxis (locally called “call-taxis” since they must be pre-arranged) are available by phone. Since there are so many listed in thr phone book already and they are mostly reliable we don’t list any. They can be ordered air-conditioned and have digital fare meters, although time-based hire is also possible with some companies. Most companies charge a minimum fare of Indian rupee 100/-(Non-AC)/150/-(AC), which is for 4km (2.4 mile) and for every subsequent kilometre they charge Indian rupee 12/- or 13/-.
Bus : One of Asia’s largest bus stations is in Chennai, the CMBT. There are seven different state owned corporations which drive buses to and from various destinations within South India. There are hourly buses for places like Tirupati, Pondicherry, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli etc. Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses ply throughout the city accessing areas which are not accessed by the suburban trains. These are Government-run and extremely cheap. Chennai has few major termini from where the majority of the buses ply towards the rest of the city. Normally Bus Fare in MTC range from Indian rupee 4 – Indian rupee 50.
Train : Chennai Central (code MAS) and Chennai Egmore (code MS) are the two main long distance train stations. There are daily trains from Chennai to Bengaluru, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Cochin, Hyderabad Kolkata and most of the big cities of India. The Egmore station covers most of the places in Tamil Nadu and a few important places outside it. The long trains to Egmore stop at Tambaram and some at Perambur. These two stations serve the suburban areas of Chennai. Prepaid taxis, cabs auto rickshaws are available for hire just outside the station.
Air : The third busiest airport of India is the Chennai International Airport which is located at a distance of 7 km from the main city. Both, international and domestic flights land at different terminals: the international flights arrive at the Anna Terminal whereas the domestic flights at Kamaraj Terminal. These two terminals are located at a distance of only 150 metres from each other. Both the terminals are well connected to the major cities of India and the world, respectively. Within a few rupees you can reach the city, but if you have rather bulky luggage look for other options like the pre-paid taxi booth.
Others : Auto-rickshaw/Tuk-tuk drivers in Chennai do not use meters; some try to overcharge and often drive rashly, but that’s part of the fun of being in Chennai. Share autos have emerged in the recent years as an alternative mode of transport in Chennai. There are four wheelers known as meter taxis, which don’t have a meter and are not taxis. They supplement the existing bus services and sometimes operate on routes based on Must See demand.
Things to CarryEdit
- The backpack must contain water bottles and juices. Hats, scarves, sun- screen lotion, umbrellas and sun glasses are a must, when traveling in the city.
- Carrying medicines for fever, dysentery and diarrhea is advisable.
- Camera and video-cam are the must carry things.
Safety / WarningEdit
- Keep your valuables safely tucked against your body and avoid flashing money in public .
- Before purchasing any product confirm the price from local people.
HelplineEdit
- Police : 100
- Traffic Police : 103
- Ambulance : 108
- Fire Control : 101
- Tourist Enquiry : 1913