Kurungaleeswarar Temple, Koyambedu

Kurungaleeswarar Temple is a Shiva temple in Koyambedu, Chennai, on the banks of the Cooum river. It dates from the Medieval Chola period, to the 12th-century reign of Kulothunga Chola, and its enclosure takes in a large tank. Shiva is worshipped as Kurungaleeswarar or Kuchalavapureeswarar, and the goddess as Dharmasamvardhini, or Aram Valartha Nayagi; the temple tree is a jack tree.

The temple's legend draws on the Ramayana. Sita, living under the care of Valmiki, worshipped Shiva here and raised her sons Lava and Kusha. When the horse of Rama's Ashvamedha sacrifice strayed here, the boys penned it in a fence of arrows and held off Rama's forces, until Valmiki made them see they were facing their own father. The neighbourhood's name is explained from that story, ko (horse), ambu (arrow) and pedu (fence), and the temple is associated with family unity, as Shiva is credited with bringing Rama's family back together.