What to expect
Kandaswamy Temple
Dedicated to Lord Murugan and popularly called Kandha Kottam, this is one of the most important Murugan temples in old Madras. Also known as the Muthukumaraswamy Devasthanam, it was established in the 17th century by the Vellala merchant community of George Town. Its annual Skanda Sashti festival draws large crowds.
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Kandaswamy Temple
Place
Practical guide
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Before you go to Kandaswamy Temple
Entry rules not verified for this temple. Some Hindu temples admit only Hindus, and most enforce a dress code at the door. We have not verified the rule for this particular temple, so please check before you travel — especially if you are not Hindu or are visiting from outside India.
We report each site's own published rules neutrally, and only where we can source them.
Typetemple
Nearest baseGeorge Town
DistrictChennai
Best timeOctober to March is the cooler, drier…
Time neededAbout an hour
EntryFree
Listed businesses1→Kandaswamy Temple is planned from George Town, one of the travel bases in Chennai district. Use George Town for stays, food and local transport, then plan this place as a focused stop.
Getting there
How to visit
- Base yourself in George Town or nearby in Chennai, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel.
- If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
Distance by road
- Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram)55 km
- Kanchipuram72 km
- Puducherry150 km
- Vellore135 km
- Tirupati135 km
Road km to Chennai; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
Weather in Kandaswamy TempleSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Kandaswamy Temple
Sunrise5:58 am
Sunset6:21 pm
Golden hour best light5:21 pm–6:21 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:21 pm–6:46 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 279°
Moon tonight🌖 Waning gibbous · 83%
South-west monsoon. June to September is the south-west monsoon in Tamil Nadu. Expect heavy showers, mostly in bursts rather than all day — carry rain cover, allow extra time for getting around, and note that ferries and open-air sites are the first things affected.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Kandaswamy Temple
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Kandaswamy Temple — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
1 place to shop near Kandaswamy Temple
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Akash Cable Corporation
Shop
Top pick
Electrical shop
Akash Cable CorporationA cable and wire dealer at 106 Govindappa Naicken Street, Sowcarpet, in George Town, Chennai. The managing director is named on its own site as S. R. Lalieth Kumar.
Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Every listing here links to the business’s own contact details and its own Google or Bing profile — we take no commission and sit in nobody’s payment path. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.
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Kandaswamy Temple — at a glance
Timings6:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Best timeYear-round; Skanda Sashti (Oct-Nov) for festivities
Entry: Free
Getting here
How to reach Kandaswamy Temple
Kandhakottam is in George Town near Mint Street; nearest stations are Chennai Central and Chennai Beach.
Getting around Kandaswamy Temple
We have not assessed physical access at this place yet. Across India, step-free routes, handrails and accessible toilets are the exception rather than the rule, and pavements are often interrupted — if step-free access matters to you, contact the site or a local operator before committing to the trip.
If you need help at Kandaswamy Temple
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Kandaswamy Temple
On the map
Where Kandaswamy Temple is
Good to know
Kandaswamy Temple — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Kandaswamy Temple?
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
What are the entry fee and timings at Kandaswamy Temple?
Entry: Free. Timings: 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM.
How do I reach Kandaswamy Temple?
Base yourself in George Town or nearby in Chennai, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel. If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
How much time do I need for Kandaswamy Temple?
About an hour.
What else is near Kandaswamy Temple?
Nearby you can pair Sowcarpet (330 m), Ekambareswarar Temple (400 m), Chenna Malleeswarar Temple (620 m), Chennakesava Perumal Temple (620 m).
Read before you go
Kandaswamy Temple guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Kandaswamy Temple itself yet. These cover George Town, the town it sits in, and the wider district.
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