Chennakesava Perumal Temple, Chennai

Chennakesava Perumal Temple
Chennakesava Perumal Temple
Chennakesava Perumal Temple Location within Tamil Nadu
Name
Proper name	Chennakesava Perumal Temple
Tamil	சென்னகேசவ பெருமாள் திருக்கோவில்
Geography
Coordinates	13°5′2″N 80°16′12″E / 13.08389°N 80.27000°E / 13.08389; 80.27000Coordinates: 13°5′2″N 80°16′12″E / 13.08389°N 80.27000°E / 13.08389; 80.27000
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Chennai
Location	Chennai
Culture
Primary deity	Chennakesava Perumal (Vishnu)
Architecture
Architectural styles	Dravidian architecture

Chennakesava Perumal Temple (Tamil: சென்னகேசவ பெருமாள் திருக்கோவில்) is a Hindu temple situated in the George Town neighbourhood of Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Chenna kesava Perumal.^[1] There is the nearby Chenna Malleeswarar Temple. They are twin temples.The temple was the first to be built in the new settlement; since the construction of Madras city by the British East India Company.^[2] Chennakesava Perumal is a manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu. And considered as the patron deity of Chennai, Chenna pattanam may be named after the Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple. The word 'chenni' in Tamil means face, and the temple was regarded as the face of the city.^[3]

History

Sources about the history of this temple have the following:

• According to Srinivasan, T.A ^[3] The Original twin temples' ( Chenna kesava perumal and Chenna Malleeswarar ) location was later occupied by the High court building.^[3] The original twin temples' history dates back to 1646 CE.^[3] Grants made to the original twin temples by Beri Thimmappa (dubash meaning interpreter, to Francis Day) and Nagabattar were recorded.^[3] Attack by other European powers and attack and looting of temples by Hyder Ali's forces caused the devotees to relocate some vigrahams to the Thiruneermalai Temple. The twin temples were demolished by the British, for the purpose of security and expansion of the nearby Fort St.George.^[3] Manali Muthu Krishna Mudaliar, translator for Lord Piccode, built new twin temples in 1700 CE in a different location^[3] (at Devaraja mudali Street, later called Sowcarpet). He donated his lands, used his own funds to build and he refused the money from the British, accepting only land from them.^[3]
• According to the official^[1] Chenna Kesava temple website: "The original Chenna Kesava perumal temple was located even in the 17th century AD in the place where the Madras High Court is currently located. When the original temple was present, there were a lot of problems in Chennai such as invasion by French and Tippu Sultan.The British East India Company demolished the original temple in 1757 AD. Due to public outcry, the British East India Company donated land and some money to Manali Muthu krishna Mudaliar, who built the new Chenna Kesava Perumal temple in the year of 1762, at a different location i.e at Devaraja Mudali Street in Sowcarpet area of Chennai city. Along with this Vishnu temple, he also built a temple for Shiva - Chenna Malleeswarar temple, thus Chennai got twin temples at Sowcarpet."^[1]
• According to Srinivasachari.C. S,^[4] The Mallikesvarar Temple was constructed by Alanganatha Pillai, assistant chief merchant to the British East India Company, in the 17th century AD.^[4] The temple is first mentioned in a document of 1652 as "Mally Carjuns Old Pagoda".^[4] It is also believed to be the Muthialpet Pagoda depicted in a Madras map of 1710.^[4]
• According to Muthiah.S,^[5] the Chennakesava Perumal Temple was constructed in 1646.^[5]
• According to the Times of India article,^[6] The twin temples of Chenna Kesava and Chenna Malleeswara Swami were originally built by Beri Thimappa, the dubash who brokered the deal between Francis Day and the local chieftain for the small strip of beach that was to become the city of Madras. The city's name "Chennai" is said to have been derived from these temples.^[6]

See also

• History of Chennai in 1700s.
• Timeline of Chennai history

Notes

References

• Srinivasachari, C. S. (1939). History of the city of Madras written for the Tercentenary Celebration Committee. Madras: P. Varadachary & Co. 

Places of worship in Chennai
Temples	Anantha Padmanabhaswami Temple Royapuram Angala Parameswari Temple Alamelumangapuram Anjaneya Temple Nanganallur Anjaneya Temple Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple Luz Anjaneya Temple Apparswami Temple Ashtalakshmi Kovil Choolaimedu Angalamman Temple Anna Nagar Ayyappan Koil Muthialpet Bairagimadam Temple Chennakesava Perumal Temple Chennai Om Sri Skandhashramam Chintadri Pillaiyar Kovil Ekambareswarar Temple Ettampadai Temple ISKCON Temple Puri Jagannath Temple Kachchaleswarar Temple Kalikambal Temple Saidapet Kamakshi Amman Temple Kamaleswarar Temple Kandaswami Temple Kapaleeshwarar Temple Mylapore Karaneeswarar Temple Saidapet Karaneeswarar Temple Ayanavaram Kasi Viswanatha Temple Mambalam Kasi Viswanatha Temple Mambalam Kothandaramar Temple Nandambakkam Kothandaramaswami Temple Muthialpet Krishnaswami Temple Kumaran Kundram Kurungaleeswarar Temple Madhya Kailash Madras Kali Bari Mallikesvarar Temple Marundeeswarar Temple Melatirupati Mylapore Mundaka Kanni Amman Temple Nandeeswarar Temple Neelagandeeswarar Temple Parasuramalingeswarar Temple Thiruvallikeni Parthasarathy Temple Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple R.A. Puram Ayyappan Koil Ravishwarar Temple Sethu Kshetram Mylapore Shirdi Sai Baba Temple T. Nagar Sri Balaji Temple Thiruneermalai Kaalabairavar Temple Thiruvalluvar Temple Thyagaraja Temple Tiruvalithayam Vadapalani Andavar Temple Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple Velleeswarar Temple Velveeswarar Temple Vengeeswarar Temple
Churches	Santhome Basilica Armenian Church Church of Our Lady of Light Descanco Church Queenship of Mary Church St Andrew's Church St. George's Cathedral St. Mary's Church Saint Patrick's Cathedral Saint Theresa Church St. Lazarus' Church St. Mark's Church St. Matthias' Church St.Mary's Co-Cathedral Wesley Church
Mosques	Thousand Lights Mosque Bahram Jung Mosque Casa Verona's Mosque Dharma Kidangu Mosque Hafiz Ahmad Khan Mosque Makkah Masjid Masjid Mamoor Masjid-o-Anwari Periamet Mosque Triplicane Labbai Jamaath Masjid
Buddhist temples	Sri Lanka Mahabodhi Centre
Gurudwaras	Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha Gurudwara
Parsi temples	Royapuram Fire Temple

Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu
Chennai	Ashtalakshmi Kovil Chennakesava Perumal Temple, Chennai Ekambareswarar Temple, Chennai Ettampadai Kalikambal Temple Kapaleeshwarar Temple Madhya Kailash Mallikesvarar Temple, Chennai Marundeeswarar Temple Nandeeswarar Temple Parthasarathy Temple Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Prathyangira Devi Temple, Shollinganallur Ravishwarar Sri Balaji Temple, T. Nagar Tiruvalithayam Vadapalani Andavar Temple Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple Jagannath Temple
Tirunelveli district	Ayikudi Balasubramanya Swami Temple Kulashekharanatha Mahalingam Temple, Pathai Nellaiappar Temple Sankaranayinarkoil Thirukutralam Thirumalai Kovil Vaithya lingam temple Vanniappar Temple
Vellore district	Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple, Tirukannamangai Engan Murugan Temple Kalyana Varadharaja Perumal Temple Kothandarama Temple, Thillaivilagam Nadutariappar Temple Paampuranathar Temple, Thirupampuram