Sapthasthana Shiva Temples

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Mylapore

"Mylai is Kylai," the saying goes. That is, Mylapore is Kailash itself! The Siddhas say that this is so only because of the seven great Shiva deities who grace this town. This is why that great general, Lord Sri Rama, visited this sacred town and worshipped that other great general, Lord Sri Skanda, at the Singaravelan shrine (which is part of the Kapali temple) in Mylapore. These deities are that ancient! Temples may get rebuilt, but these deities themselves are timeless. Such is the sacredness due to the seven Shivas here. So devotees should consider it a great honor to be able to offer worship at all seven Shiva temples here. They should consider it their sacred duty to revive the ancient Sapthasthana Shiva worship here.

Sapthasthaana Shiva worship predates Thiru Gnanasambandha's time. When that great devotee visited Mylapore, he followed the pattern* and offered worship at all seven temples.

Just like the Saptha Sthana worship of Thiruvaiyaru, Thirupazhanam, Thiruchotruthurai, Thiruvedhikkudi, Thirukandiyur, Thirupoonthuruthi and Thiruneidhanam, the Mylapore Saptha Sthana Shiva worship includes (1) Sri Karaneeswarar Temple, (2) Sri Theerthapaleeswarar Temple, (3) Sri Velleeswarar Temple, (4) Sri Virupaksheeswarar Temple, (5) Sri Valeeswarar Temple, (6) Sri Malleeswarar Temple and (7) Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple, in that order. 

The Saptha rishis who worshipped these seven temples are - Adri, Brigu, Kutsa, Vashishta, Gautama, Kasyapa and Angirasa. Originally these were all part of a single temple but in due course they have become separate temples. It is highly powerful to worship all the seven deities in a single day, especially on the night of Mahasivaratri. 

1. Sri Karaneeswarar Temple

Worshipped by Sage Vasishta.

Location : Bazaar street in the middle stretch of the popular Kutcheri road.

The Shivalingam here is in square shape as seen in only Thirukkadaiyur and Kalahasthi. Since Shiva is the reason for everything, He is called Karaneeswarar (Karanam in Tamil means reason).

2. Sri Theerthapaleeswarar Temple

Worshipped by Sage Adri.

Location : Dr.Natesan street of Krishnapet, Triplicane Mirsahib market area opposite to mosque , opp road Chennai City center , Lloyds road.

The temple has significance that when the seven deities of the Sapthasthana temples take bath in the sea during the Theerthavari festival in the Tamil month of Masi, this deity takes the first place. Sage Agasthiar worshipped Shiva here.

3. Sri Velleeswarar Temple

Worshipped by Sage Angeerasa.

Location : South Mada street (chitrakulam) very close to the Kapaleeswarar temple.

The legend has it that Asura Guru Sukracharyar worshipped Shiva here in order to regain his vision.

4. Sri Virupaksheeswarar Temple

Worshipped by Sage Kutsa.

Location : near Karaneeswara temple in Bazaar road in the middle and Mundakkanni Amman temple.

This is the oldest temple of Mylapore and Sivanesan Chettiar, who built this temple, had a daughter called Poompavai and when she died, Thirugnana Sambandhar brought her back from her burnt bones. Viroopam means Contradicting the Nature and since Shiva's third eye contradicts the nature, He is called Virupaksheeswarar.

5. Sri Vaaliswarar Temple 

Worshipped by Sage Gautama

Location : Gopathy Narayana Chetty Street opposite to Kolavizhiamman Temple & opposite Sri Karaneeswarar Temple.

Vaali got all his powers after his tapas towards Easwaran here. Pancha lingams came out from the earth as seen in a separate shrine which is an appropriate place for meditation. There are shrines for Vinayahar, Natarajar, Goddess Sivahami, Murugar with Valli and Deivanai, Chandeeswar, Anjaneyar, Vishnu, Durgai, and Ayyappan. Navagrahas with their respective vahanas and Saneeswarar separately are present in different shrines. In the Southwest of the outer praharam, a lizard has been carved out to indicate that this is a Parihara sthalam.

6. Sri Malleeswarar Temple

Worshipped by Sage Brigu.

Location : South Mada street ,It is located in the area behind Sri Karaneeswarar Temple.

This was once a forest of Jasmines and so the Easwaran here is called Malleeswarar. Prarthan, King of Ayodhya, was in tapas and conducted a Yagna here towards Shiva. Indhran tried to sabotage his tapas but could not. In praise of the intensity of his tapas, Shiva appeared before him along with his consort. Neem and Aswatha trees are grown together as a single tree.

7. Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple

Worshipped by Sage Kasyapa.

Location : Mylapore,Chennai.Tamil Nadu, India

This is one of the 275 Thevara Padal Petra Sthalams; out of these, this is one of the 40 temples that have west facing Shiva shrines. Parvathi Devi worshipped Shiva here in the form of Peacock. The 63 Nayanmar festival is highly popular.

– N. Murugesa Mudaliar, in Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Temple Mylapore, writes, “Mylapore fell into the hands of the Portuguese in 1566, when the temple suffered demolition. The present temple was rebuilt around three hundred years ago. There are some fragmentary inscriptions from the old temple still found in the St. Thomas Cathedral.” Read more on this story: What stood on the place the church presently stands?

Google Maps: Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Mylapore

*Saptha Rishi Mandala

More Sapthasthana Shiva Temples....

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Thiruvaiyaru

1. Iyyarappar Temple, Thiruvaiyaru
2. Aabathsakaayeswarar Temple, Thiruppazhanam
3. Nadhar Temple, Thiruchotrutthurai
4. Vedapureeswarar Temple, Thiruvedhikkudi
5. Brahmasirakandeeswarar Temple, Thirukandiyur
6. Pushpavaneswarar Temple, Thirupoonthurutthi
7. Neiyadiyappar Temple, Thiruneidhanam (Kandiyur - Aiyampettai Route)

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Nagappattinam

1. Nandinatheswarar Temple, Poigainallur (Nagappattinam - Velaankanni Route)
2. Kadambavananathar Temple, Paappa koil
3. Navaneedeswarar Temple, Sikkal
4. Kayarohanaswamy Temple, Palur
5. Thirumeni Azhagar Temple, Vadakudi
6. Agneeswarar Temple, Thetthi
7. Naaganathar Temple, Nagore

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Mayiladuthurai

1. Mayuranathar Temple, Mayiladuthurai
2. Iyyarappar Temple, Mayiladuthurai
3. Punukeeswarar Temple, Koorainadu
4. Margasakayeswarar Temple, Moovaloor
5. Azhagiyanathar Temple, Chozampettai
6. Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Thulakattam (Mayiladuthurai)
7. Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Siddharkadu

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Kumbakonam

1. Kumbeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam
2. Amirthakalasanathar Temple, Thirukalayanallur
3. Aavudayanathar Temple, Dharasuram
4. Kapartheeswarar Temple, Thiruvalanchuzhi
5. Swaminaathaswamy Temple,  Swamimalai
6. Kotteeswarar Temple,  Kottaiyur
7. Kailasanathar Temple, Melakaveri

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Thirukkanjanur

1. Agneeswarar Temple, Kanjanur
2. Thirukotteeswarar Temple, Thirukkodikkaval
3. Vadaranyeswarar Temple, Thiruvalankaadu (Kumbakonam - Mayiladuthurai Route)
4. Masilaamanesswarar Temple, Thiruvavaduthurai
5. Aabathsakaayeswarar Temple, Aaduthurai
6. Prananatheswarar Temple, Thirumangalakkudi
7. Aamravaneswarar Temple, Thirumanthurai (Thenkarai Manthurai)

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Chakkarappalli (Sapthamangai sthalams)

1. Chakravageswarar Temple, Thiruchakkarappalli (Ayyampettai, Thanjavur)
2. Harimuktheeswarar Temple,  Ariyamangai
3. Keerthivaageeswarar Temple, Soolamangai
4. Jambukeswarar Temple, Nandhimangai
5. Pasupatheeswarar Temple, Pasumangai
6. Chandramouleeswarar Temple, Thazhamangai
7. Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Pullamangai

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Karanthattaangudi (Thanjavur)

1. Vashishteswarar Temple,  Karanthattaankudi
2. Thanjapureeswarar Temple, Vennatrankarai
3. Vashishteswarar Temple,Thittai
4. Chokkanathar Temple, Koodalur (Thanjavur)
5. Rajaraeswarar Temple, Kadakadappai
6. Kailasanathar Temple, Mariamman Koil (Thanjavur)
7. Vaidhyanatheswarar Temple, Poomalai (Thanjavur)

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Thirunallur (Kumbakonam to Valangaiman Route)

1. Panchavarneswarar Temple,  Thirunallur
2. Pasupatheeswarar Temple, Govindakkudi
3. Pasupatheeswarar Temple, Aavur (Kumbakonam)
4. Sundareswarar Temple, Maaligaitthidal
5. Kailasanaathar Temple, Mattianthidal
6. Ramalingaswamy Temple, Papanasam (Thanjavur)
7. Palaivananathar Temple, Thiruppalaitthurai

Sapthasthana Shiva Temples of Thiruneelakkudi (Kumbakonam To Karaikkaal Main Route)

1. Neelakandeswarar Temple, Thiruneelakkudi
2. Sundareswaraswamy Temple, Ilanthurai
3. Somanathar Temple, Yelathimangalam
4. Naganathaswamy Temple, Thirunaageswaram
5. Kampahareswarar Temple, Thirubuvanam
6. Mahalingaswamy Temple, Thiruvidaimarudhur
7. Iravatheswarar Temple, Marutthuvakkudi