Tucked away from the din and bustle of the crowded Chennai is a tiny verdant hamlet called Madambakkam near Tambaram.
Nestled amidst velvet green paddy fields this temple is ancient and the presiding deity Dhenupureswarar and his consort is - Dhenukambal. This area is called Madambakkam as the vimana of the temple is in the form of Gajaprishta and belongs to Thunganai madam thus Madambakkam.
It is also called Chaturvedi Mangalam as many vedic pundits who mastered the four Vedas resided here.
Kamadhenupuri
This sacred area has different names .Let us see as to why it is called Kamadhenupuri. A resident of this area had a cattle herd One particular cow of the herd played truant. It emptied the milk on a particular spot instead of providing him milk. Angered by this behavior he stoned the cow's hooves and it started bleeding profusely. Not knowing what to do he consulted the elders of the village who took a vow not to hurt the cattle here after. The cow became better and the bleeding stopped at once.
At this juncture the cow took the form of Sage Kapila and a Shiva Lingam appeared from under the earth at the place where the temple is now built. The cow ( Kamadhenu) showered milk on the Shiva lingam everyday in this place and hence the place called Kamadhenupuri and the presiding deity is called Dhenupureeswarar.
There is no Rajagopuram at the entrance of the temple. As we enter the temple there is a Kodimaram which welcomes the devout.
(To be contd)
Usha Raja