THENANDRUDAYAN VINAYAKA TEMPLE, TRICHY,TAMILNADU
Introduction The Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple is a pride of Trichy that isdedicated to the god of new beginnings, knowledge and wisdom Lord Ganesha. Oneof the widely revered Hindu deities, Lord Ganesha offer his blessings here inthis unique temple in the name of Sri Nandrudayan Vinayagar A unique aspect ofthis temple is that it features two idols: a five-foot-tall presiding deity of Nandrudan Vinayakaand a smaller shrine housing Adi Vinayagar, which is a rare depiction ofGanesha with a human face, as he was before his head was replacedwith an elephant's. This human-faced idol is also referred to as Nara MukhaVinayaka and is believed to represent Ganesha in his original form. Broadly speaking, the Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple is regardedas one of the oldest temples in all of Tiruchirappalli. Location and uniquefeatures Location: The temple is situated in Trichy, on East BoulevardRoad. Presiding Deity: A five-foot tall idol of Nandrudan Vinayakais the main deity. A largeNandi idol is placed facing the main deity in the sanctum sanctorum. Adi Vinayagar/Nara Mukha Vinayaka: The temple has a smallershrine dedicated to a rare form of Ganesha with a human face. This idol isworshipped as Nara Mukha Vinayaka, and it is believed to be Ganesha's originalform before the elephant head was replaced. Historicalsignificance The temple is ancient, with mentions found in the works of 7th-century Tamil Shaivapoet-saints like Thirugnana Sambandar and other Nayanmars Architecture The temple is built in the Dravidian style of architecture The main entrance to the temple is on the side away from theroad and is recently renovated with temple name displayed. About the temple We enter through the back side of the main Sannidhi. There isan Anjaneya installed here facing the road. When we go around and reach the other side of the roomwe can see a majestic five footGanapathy with the usual elephant head . This is the Moolavar. There is a nandi unusually in frontof the Ganesha. Maybe a case of the son borrowing Dad’s vehicle !!! To the right of the main Sannidhi is a small room with a huge3-4 feet tall god with a human face the Nara Mukha Ganapathy! Main Deities Main deity is a 5-foot-tallidol of Vinayaka with an enormous Nandi facing it on the eastern side. Idol ofGanesha adorned with serpent jewellery in the waist and, interestingly, a giant Nandi bull facingHim—a sight usually seen in Shiva temples, not Ganesha shrines. There is also a separateshrine with a 4-foot statue of Adi Vinayaka within the temple complex. Other deities Some of the other important shrines of the NandrudayanVinayaka Temple include Tamil god Lord Murugan, Goddess Durga, GoddessGayathri, Navagraha sannadhi, Lord Ayyappa. Idols Inside the smaller shrine, idols of Shri Adi Shankaracharyaalso known as Sankara Bhagavatpadacarya, Sadasiva Brahmendra (an Advaitaphilosopher, a composer of Carnatic music and a saint), Veda Vyasar (the authorof the Sanskrit epic of Mahabharata), Saivaite saint Pattinathar are installed. Poojas Regular poojas in Vinayaka temples are conducted daily. OnThursdays, special poojas are performed for Nara mukha Ganapathi. Festivals Ganesa chathurthi is celebrated in large scale. The annualmusic festival organized by the Nandrudayan Vinayaja Temple receives musiciansand devotees from all over the state. Festivals for sub-deities are alsoconducted. Specialty A unique aspect of thesanctum sanctorum is that a huge idol of Nandi, the mount of Lord Shiva, isinstalled facing the main deity. There is another smaller shrine housing AdiVinayagar, Ganesha with a human face. The temple has been spoken of by Kanchi Mahaperiyava for itsNara mukha Ganapathy ( Human faced Ganapathy).It is a very old temple which wasoriginally part of the Rock fort temple complex. How to Reach: Ask for Murugan theatre one of the oldest movie theatres inTrichy. The temple is about half a furlong further down on the same side as thetheatre. Location and Address: Sri Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple East Boulevard Road, Singarathope, Devathanam, Trichy, Tamil Nadu - 620002 Landmark: Near MuruganTheatre contact number 9986615454. Temple timings Morning: 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM Evening: 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM Administration The Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple in Trichy, like many othertemples in the state, is under HR&CE of the Tamil Nadu government. My note- So there are two temples in Tamilnadu withNaramukha Vinayaga. One at Thilatharpanapuri in Tiruvarur District and anotherin Trichy. Information compiled andposted by R. Gopalakrishnan, 27-10-2025. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1208166189.555635.1761542526405%40mail.yahoo.com.
