His Holiness visits Udayambakkam village
23 April 2011
It was a historic moment when His Holiness Pujyasri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamiji visited the Udayambakkam Village near Chengelpet on the 23rd April 2011. It was on this day that the great Emperor of Vijayanagara, King Krishna Deva Raya gifted the village of Udayambakkam to the Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Sri Sadasiva Sarasvati in the year 1529. (Details of the grant can be accessed here).
Udayambakkam village is located at around 15 kms from Chengelpet and about the same distance from Tirukazhukundram. The Ottivakkam village enroute from Chengelpet has a railway station. His Holiness Pujyasri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamiji reached Udayambakkam late in the evening, walking in the villages and blessing the villagers enroute. Accompanied by devotees and local residents, His Holiness visited the place where a huge shivalinga (Sri Chandramouleeswara) and a shrine for Shri Chandikeswara is present near the river Palar. A nandi which was found in the midst of overgrown bushes has now been placed before the Shiva Linga. It is believed that a temple was present at the spot earlier. Pujas were performed to the deities.
This being the birth place of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi VII- the 66th Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, a portrait of Sri Acharya was brought from Kanchipuram and puja was performed to the Acharya.