மற்றுமோர் தெய்வமுண்டே மதியிலா மானிடங்காள் ~ Sri Parthasarathi everywhere **

மற்றுமோர் தெய்வமுண்டே மதியிலா மானிடங்காள்*

உற்றபோதன்றி நீங்கள் ஒருவனென்றுணர மாட்டீர்*

அற்றமேலொன்றறீயீர் அவனல்லால் தெய்வமில்லை*

கற்றினம் மேய்த்த வெந்தை கழலிணை பணிமினீரே.

Sriman Narayana is Supreme and reaching to Him is the purpose of our life.  One need not even learn – all that one need is to worship the feet of our great Lord who walked on earth grazing cows! ~ simple words of Thondarappodi Azhwar.

In the bustling Chennai there is an island ! – one that was formed on the Coovum River nearer its estuary. The island was created artificially in the early 19^th  century by merging the Coovum River with the then Elambore River. The Island Grounds constitute a vast empty space on the island.  Since 1975, the annual India Tourist and Industrial Fair, popularly known to the locals as the trade fair, is conducted on this island by the state government during the months of January to March.  It attracts huge crowds, though over the years – there is not much to enjoy.

A peep in to the past – would make us  understand the pristine glory of this puranic place - Triplicane, the existence of which far exceeds the Chennai and present conglomeration.   The city  symbolises the rise of British power in South India by setting up and  consolidation of the East India Company in the seventeenth  century with its headquarters at Fort St. George in Chennai as a trading centre. The  present  day territorial limits of the city existed in the shape of scattered villages  for centuries  before  the advent of the British.

Thiruvallikkeni has been in existence far before that.  Visitors first look at 'Kairavini Pushkarini' - the thirukulam of Sri Parthasarathi Swami Temple - a pond of lily flowers ~ which gave the place the name 'Thiruvallikkeni'  which some claim to have been in existence for thousands of years.   Going by the stone inscriptions found in the temple and by the fact that it is sung by Pey Azhwar, Thirumazhisai Azhwar and Tirumangai Azhwar, it can safely be concluded that this temple has existed for a minimum of more than 1200 years now.  There is inscription of Pallava King - Danti Varman dating (779-830); in effect Triplicane also has existed for more than 1200 years by now, if not more.

For most Triplicanites, life revolves around this magnificent Temple, its Lord, the purappadu and various rituals ~ a holy place to live.  .. .. the other day went to Trade fair – on one side is the shops and on the other side is pavilions put up by Govt departments including Police, Port, HR&CE.  Hindu Religious Department this time has put up a pavilion with façade of Sri Parthasarathi swami temple and inside was this idol representing Moolavar Sri Venkata Krishnan with Rukmini thayar by his side.

Adiyen Srinivasadhasan

16^th Feb 2016.