Valluvar Kottam, Chennai

Valluvar Kottam is a firmly erected monument in Chennai city, one of the historical places here, it is situated at the intersection of village road and Kodambakkam high road. The monument is the largest Tamil cultural center in the city. It was inaugurated in April 1976 by the then President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed as a place of pilgrimage in memory of the poet Thiruvalluvar.

This monument was built at the deepest point of a local lake which is dedicated to philosopher Valluvar, a classical Tamil poet who existed in ancient times. Valluvar Kottam was conceived and implemented in the 1970s by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi.

It is about 39 meters high. The monument consists of a 115-foot (35 m) giant chariot within which is a stone effigy of Thiruvalluvar and an auditorium that seats 4,000 people. In the corridors of the façade hall, 1330 verses of the saint are engraved on granite pillars. Valluvar Kottam is designed with an innovative layout and thoughtful execution.

1. Valluvar Kottam's sublime beauty is best experienced in the early morning when the city is just waking up for the day, or you can visit this destination during the evening hours when the sun just sets on the horizon.
2. Apart from being an important tourist destination in the city, Valluvar Kottam also hosts some of the most important exhibitions and events in the city.
3. The entirety of the monument is a temple car, attached to the floor, but a delightful addition to the building. Another interesting fact about Valluvar Kottam is that you can also see some plants which were planted here by Mother Teresa herself, and are marked by a stone plate which marks the year 1984.
4. A very unique feature of Valluvar Kottam is that it is unsupported without any pillar support. The 1330 verses of the epic Thirukkural are carved on granite pillars in the façade hall corridors, enclosing the vast auditorium of Valluvar Kottam.

📅 Last update: 2024-06-19 || ✍ Author: Sandhya Chauhan

Meet Sandhya, exploring India with curiosity and wonder. She shares info and tips in simple language, inviting you to join the journey. She is graduated in tourism and writes about the places of India.