Thennangur

Thennangur Sri Panduranga temple

Thenangur, is a village, town panchayat located in Tiruvanamalai district of Tamil Nadu. The village is the site of a uniquely designed Hindu temple.

The Panduranga temple in Thennagur looks entirely different from South Indian temple architecture. The gigantic entrance tower (Gopuram)  and outer structure of the temple resembles Puri Jagannath Temple of Orissa. The entrance tower structure is 120 feet high and on the pinnacle of it 9 feet high divine. The temple is dedicated to deities Panduranga and Rukumayi (Lord Krishna and Rukmini Devi)

Thennangur Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple

The ancient name of Thennangur is Dakshina Halasyam. As this area was once full of forests, this was also known as Shadaranya Kshetra(6 Forests). 

Birth place of Maduai Meenakshi Amman : Pandya King, desiring to have a child, was exhorted to have a yaga done with the help of Sapta Rishis. It was here, in Shadaranya this yagna was said to have been done and a girl child appeared in this yagna. The king took the child to Madurai, and named her Sri Meenakshi; therefore Dakshina Halasyam is the birth place of Sri Meenakshi. As told by Kanchi Paramacharyar in this episodical background, this temple was built.

Every year the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Kalyanam and other festivals are performed in this temple.

How to Reach : Thennangur is located on State Highway 116, between Kancheepuram and Vandavasi, and is served by frequent buses from both cities. It is 115 kilometres from the state capital, Chennai.