Nandeeswarar Temple, Adambakkam

Nandeeswarar Temple, called the Sivan temple by local people, is in Adambakkam, Chennai, off Karuneegar Street and near St. Thomas Mount railway station. Shiva is worshipped here as Nandeeswarar, with the goddess Aavudai Nayagi, and the story behind the name is that he appeared to the sage Bringi in the form of Nandi, the sacred bull. For that reason Nandi is worshipped after Shiva here, the reverse of the usual order. Local belief credits a Chola king, Adhani, with founding it, though the temple is about 950 years old, and the nearby hill's name Parangi malai is said to come from Bringi malai.

The east-facing lingam and the south-facing goddess are joined by shrines to Vinayaka, Vishnu, Subramanyar, Bairavar, Brahma, Durga and the Navagrahas. There are entrances on the east and south, with an unused tank outside the southern one, and the vilvam is the temple tree. Pradosham, Shivratri, Mondays and Arudra Darshan bring special worship.