Kurungaleeswarar temple, chennai, pic 1--5

The Kurungaleeswarar Temple is dedicated to Sri Shiva as Kurungaleeswarar Swamy and Divine Mother Shakti as Aram Valartha Nayaki.

The Kurungaleeswarar Temple is located in Sivan Koil Street, Koyambedu, Chennai. The temple is around 2 km from the Koyambedu C.M.B.T bus terminus.

Kurungaleeswarar and Goddess Samvardhani on the right side of the Lord are facing north.  As in the Meenakshi temple in Madurai, the Goddess is on the right of the Lord and has greater prominence.  The belief is that worshipping Goddess on the right side of the Lord would expedite delayed marriages.  Virgins worship the Goddess for early marriage life. It is said that the Goddess has taken the right position to come to the rescue of her devotees swiftly when they are in problems.

After fourteen years of life in forest and winning Ravana in the battle, Sri Rama returned to Ayodhya and took charge of the kingdom.  During that time, some idle men spoke ill of Mother Sita about her fidelity.  Rama, bowing to gossips, sent sita to the woods where she gave birth to the twins Lava and Kuch in sage Valmiki’s ashram.  The twin grew without knowing that Rama was their father.  Rama performed an Ashwameda Yaga in Ayodhya.  Lava and Kucha who came to participate in the yaga as directed by sage Valmiki returned back as it was against the rules of Vedas to perform a yagna without the wife by the side and also they learnt the truth that their mother Sita was sent to woods by Rama unjustly.  The horse of the Ashwamedha Yaga came to the place where the brothers were living.  Lava and Kucha caught the horse and bound it.  Satrugna, the last brother of Lord Rama demanded the horse which the youth refused.  They won their uncle Satrugna in battle and also Lakshmana who followed Satrugna.  Sage Valmiki then explained the circumstances that compelled Rama to send Sita to the forests and said that Rama was none other a person than their own father.

 Having opposed the father, Lava and Kucha had to incur Pitru dosha (the effect of opposing the parents) and got relieved of the dosha by worshipping Lord Shiva in this place as directed by sage Valmiki.  The deity came to known as Kuchalavapureeswarar.