Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple
Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple is an important pilgrimage site located in Andaman dedicated to Lord Murugan. Idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, and Goddess Parvati are also placed inside the temple. The edifice is inspired by the Dravidian style of architecture and looks simply amazing and spellbinding. Darshans are held in the morning and evening. As the temple is located close to the Cellular Jail, it can easily be accessed by hiring a private taxi. Buses are available from Port Blair as well to the temple.
Important Tamil festivals such as Kanda Sashti and Thai Poosam are celebrated here. The main gopuram of the temple has a plethora of beautiful and intricate paintings that tell different stories.
History of Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple
Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple was built in the year 1926 under British rule to gain the support and loyalty of the Tamil population located in the Andaman Islands.
The guardian of this magnificent temple right after it was built was Ponnuranga Mudaliar, a wealthy businessman. This temple was initially built on Ross Island, but after India's independence, it was relocated to Port Blair.
Architecture of Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple
Built-in 1926, the temple has many Tamil visitors and celebrates important festivals like Kanda Shashti and Panguni Uthram. It is maintained by Sri Vetrimalai Murugan, a Tamil businessman, and is one of the quintessential places to see in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on your vacation.
The temple is built in Dravidian style with many familiarities to Kanda Kottam temple of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and showcases many intricate paintings inside the gopuram.
Festivals Celebrated at Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple
All the major Tamil festivals including Panguni Uthram, Kanda Sashti, and Thai Poosam are celebrated with a lot of zest and exuberance in this temple and are a must to witness if you are traveling to Andaman during the same time as when they are celebrated.
The temples look extremely beautiful and magically decorated with colorful flowers and lights. A large number of people who visit the temple to take part in the festivities make the temple look vibrant and full of positivity. Each festival sees around 40,000 people coming in joyfully to celebrate, and the temple management makes sure that they are well-fed and enjoy themselves by indulging in rituals and prayers.
