Saturday, February 7, 2015

Oothukattu ellayamman kovil

Oothukattu ellayamman  kovil

Compiled by
P.R. Ramachander

  This temple is in a diversion to Valajabad   near Oragadam in the  Tambaram to Kanchipuram road. It is a verypopular temple . There is a story behind the temple. It seems once King Krishna Deva Raya who came for  hunting in the Othukadu forest ggot tired and was   taking rest below a neem tree. A pup called Bhairava which accompanied the king  roamed in those parts and found out   the water source and lead the king there. When the king was drinking water he noticed a lime fruiyt fl;oating in the lake and following it one statue  of the Goddess which was two and half feet long also came,. He built a small temple below the neem tree and consecrated   that Goddess  there and she was called  The “Oothukadu ellayamman”.(She is also called OOthukattau amman ) This is believed to have been established in the year 1608.There is  also a story that the temple was established not by the knig but Nagal Naidu who was working in his army. The Temple tree is supposed to be Vanni tree.
   She is the family deity  of large  number of  people in those  parts and beople believe that all their prayers are fulfilled by her.  They  express their gratefulness to the Goddssx by offering Pongal to her on   tuedays, Fridays and Sundays. A festival called Brahmothsavam  is velebrated to the goddees   in the April-may month,. People dressed  in yellow cloth dipped in turmreric, walk on the open fire to please her during this festival.
     Recently the temple was expanded and an enytance Gopuram was built to the temple. Temples for Lord Ganesa , Durga  , Seven brothers, nine planrts and Kala Bhairava    are   consecrated surrounding her temple.


  

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