Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

1126 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Modern · Hindu · India

Vadapalani Andavar Temple

Chennai, Tamil Nadu · 13.0528°, 80.2136°

Murugan as Vadapalani AndavarModernDravidian
Sacred since
1865 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
1865–1890; renovated 1920
Modern

History & significance

A major Murugan shrine in western Chennai that began in 1865 as a thatched hut where Annaswami Nayakar worshipped a painted image of the god, with the masonry temple following around 1890 and renovation in 1920. Its rajagopuram carries stucco panels of episodes from the Skanda Purana.

Sthala katha — the legend

A sage of Palani is said to have appeared in Annaswami Nayakar's dream and told him to worship Murugan at home, which is how the shrine began.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Modern