Kalikambal Temple

The Kalikambal temple located in Thambu Chetty Street in the heart of George Town in the business district of Chennai is among the most visited temples in the meteropolis.

This temple enshrines Kalikambal (Kamakshi) and Kamateswarar and a host of parivara devatas. The history of the temple goes back to a few hundred years.
The great Maratha ruler Shivaji is said to have visited the Kalikambal shrine in Chennai, during his tour of the southern region of the Indian subcontinent.
It is said that the original location of this temple was closer to the sea shore and that it was relocated to its present location during the period of British rule in India.
It is also believed that a firece ugra form of the Goddess was held in worship earlier, and that this form was replaced with the Shanta Swaroopa form of Kamakshi, along with a Meru in the recent past.
This temple has a rich tradition of festivals, which are celebrated in splendor even today in the limited space that is available in the neighborhood.
The Kinnitter - a chariot lined with metal cymbals is unique to this temple, and the kinnitter procession in the month of Vaikasi attracts large crowds. The Navaratri and the Vasanta Navaratri festivals are also of a unique nature here.
This temple has grown in popularity exponentially over the last two decades. Unprecedented crowds throng the neighborhood on Fridays and during special celebrationsand the last two decades have seen major construction activities within the temple complex.