We’d not appreciated the presence of this temple area so close to home. There’s an inscription outside, with the names of the 5 chettiars who bequeathed the shrine and area to the temple in 1835. Peacocks live here, in the wild areas around the fenced off Keni kulam. Here is where the local rajas (chieftains?) would put shoes on and water their horses. So the temple’s Amman got its name: Lada Chinnamman.
Govindarajan from the Chetty Koyil is the Yadava caretaker along with 2 ladies – I think sisters, one of whom is named Sangamitra. They come to sweep, but at various times daily. The biggest problem here is knowing when anyone will come to open the temple. Passers-by are welcome but this place seems unconcerned with drawing crowds in.
Govindarajan tells of how his family had land near the big chetty temple, and they gave that to the temple and moved to Saaram. He’s happy he can come back and work in the place where he was born and raised. He takes care of this temple and 2 others – Sundara Vinayaka near the old bus stand, and one other, in addition to Chetty Kovl duties as needed.
The “complex” has a main temple to Lada Chinna Amman, who appears to be a Naga goddess–her face form emerges from the body of a hooded serpent. In the ardha mandapa is a mooshika vahana and a spear. Govindarajan couldn’t explain why the mooshika in an Amman temple. On either side of the entrance, stand Sri Vigneswarar and Sri Soundthiravalli as dwarapalakas. Outside in the portico stands Pavadarajan and a balipeetham plus vel.
There’s a large, beautiful peepul tree with small neem beside it, a naga pratishtha set of stones (facing east) and a Vinayaka plus 2 rats that seem to have been taken from a temple gopuram adornment somewhere and placed here (facing south).
At the far end is a Jaya Vinayaka Shrine with mooshika vahana at the far end, and a Jaya Veera Anjaneya shrine.
Sangamitra tells us of a tea stall owner nearby who used to claim that the paal abhishekam turns the statue which has a Kalinga Narttana Krishna blue. Same with the Amman whose throat turns blue.
The Kulam is said to have been the jeeva samadhi location of an ascetic who used to come here. Someone else said that if you sit by it, you’ll still hear “Om”. But most cannot stay the evening as there are too many mosquitoes.
Also of Bharatiyar, who may have come here or hidden here (Sangamitra didn’t find this believable until she learned his home is just up the street from here), and of the Mother of Pondicherry's Sri Aurobindo Ashram living somewhere nearby with a view of the place.
Devotees who believe this to be their kula daivam (but we don’t know who these are/ from which community) come here for ear piercings, mottai adikkaradu and other small pujas. They cook pongal or sometimes even meat offerings in the small makeshift stoves at the back.