Thiruvalangadu

Thiruvalangadu is a village in the western suburbs of Chennai, India. The railway station is located on the Chennai-Arakkonam Route, the penultimate station before Arakkonam. Sri Vadaranyeswarar Temple is situated at a distance of 5 km from the station. It can also be accessed by road on NH205 (Chennai-Avadi-Tiruvallur-Renigunta route). A slight detour of about 6 km from NH205 on to the left takes one to the temple town of Thiruvalangadu. Sri Tazhuvikuzhandheswarar Temple is another big temple located about two kilometer far south-easterly to Vedaranyeswarar Temple. This village is the birthplace of the great Saint Pattinathar The Thiruvaalangadu temple, built by the Cholas during the 12th century CE (though inscriptions evidence the 5th century CE), is regarded as a sacred Shaivaite temple in that it is one of the 5 majestic cosmic dance halls (pancha sabhai) of Lord Shiva, known as "Ratna Sabai". The other 4 "Sabais" are Chidambaram Nataraja Temple- Kanaka Sabhai, Meenakshi Amman Temple (Madurai - Rajatha Sabhai), Coutrallam Thirukutralam - Chitra Sabha and Nellaiappar Temple (Tirunelveli - Thamira Sabhai). Legend has it that when the Lord was once entranced in a deep cosmic dance, the jewels from the Lord's anklets fell onto the earth and scattered in 5 places, Thiruvalangadu being one of them. It is one of the 32 Saiva temples in Tondai Nadu which have been sung in the devaarams.