Kandaswami Temple, Georgetown

Kandha Kottam Temple Tamil: கந்த கோட்டம் திருக்கோவில்
Kandha kottam's Gopuram (Gateway tower)
Kandha Kottam Temple Tamil: கந்த கோட்டம் திருக்கோவில் Location in Chennai city
Name
Other names	Kandha Swāmi Temple (கந்த ஸ்வாமி திருக்கோவில்)
Proper name	Mutthu Kumāra Swāmi deva sthānam (முத்து குமார ஸ்வாமி தேவ ஸ்தானம்)
Geography
Coordinates	13°05′38″N 80°17′02″E / 13.0939°N 80.2839°E / 13.0939; 80.2839Coordinates: 13°05′38″N 80°17′02″E / 13.0939°N 80.2839°E / 13.0939; 80.2839
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Chennai district
Location	Parry's corner (Old: George town), Chennai city
Culture
Primary deity	Shri Kandha Swāmi (Murugan)
Consort	Shri Deivānai, Shri Valli
Festival deity	Shri Mutthu Kumāra Swāmi
Festival consort	Shri Deivānai, Shri Valli
Temple tank	Saravana poigai
Poets	Rāmalinga Vallalār, Chidhambara swāmi.
Important festivals	ādi Kirutthigai, Panguni Utthiram.
Architecture
Architectural styles	Dravidian architecture
History and governance
Date built	1670s CE, early 1800s CE
Website	kandhakottam.tnhrce.in

Kandaswami Temple (Tamil: கந்த ஸ்வாமி கோவில்) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Murugan, located in the Parry's corner (Old: George Town) neighbourhood of Chennai city, in Tamil Nadu, India. It is also called 'Mutthu Kumāra Swāmi deva sthānam' (Tamil: முத்து குமார ஸ்வாமி தேவ ஸ்தானம்) and popularly known as Kandha kottam (Tamil: கந்த கோட்டம்). It is managed by the Tamil Nadu Hindu religious and charitable endowments department of the government of Tamil Nadu. The Kandha kottam temple has associated educational institutions for music and dance classes; primary and high schools; and a college, in various locations. The Kandha kottam temple also performs social welfare initiatives like free medical clinics and free pharmacies.

The original temple was constructed by the Beri Chetty community people in the 1670s. The existing temple was built with stone in the very early 1800s. It has seen many renovations, and is considered to be one of the finest in the neighbourhood. The area covered by the temple is about eight acres. The temple tank is 'Saravana Poigai' and the Sthala Viruksham (tree) is Magizham tree.

According to the stone inscriptions in the temple, the moolavar vigraham (main idol) of Murugan in this temple was discovered and brought from a tank bund near Thiru porur Shri Kandha Swāmi Temple. It is a famous Murugan temple situated on the Chennai to Mahabalipuram route and that vigraham was installed in this temple during the 1670s.

The moolavar vigraham 'Shri Kandha swāmi', (ஸ்ரீ கந்த ஸ்வாமி) which was brought from 'Thiru porur', is about two feet in height. Shri Deivānai (ஸ்ரீ தெய்வானை) and Shri Valli (ஸ்ரீ வள்ளி) are on either side of this presiding deity. The uthsava moorthi is known as 'Shri Mutthu kumāra swāmi' (ஸ்ரீ முத்து குமார ஸ்வாமி), has consorts Deivānai and Valli. They are in a separate shrine in a big uthsava mandapam. Next to the temple tank Saravana poigai, there is a shrine for Shri Kulakkarai Vināyagar with Siddhi and Buddhi as his consorts. There is a shrine nearby for Shri Kāshi Vishwanādhar and Shri Kāshi Vishālākshi.