Divya desam Temples are the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars (saints). ”Divya” means “premium” and “Desam” indicates “place” (temple). Of the 108 temples, 105 are in India, one is in Nepal, and last two are outside the Earthly realms. The last two are Thirupalkaddal and Paramapadam
According to legend, Pundarika Maharishi wished to have ‘darshan’ of Lord Narayana as Ksheerapthinatha. So, he gathered lotus flowers for His puja. The Lord came as an elder Brahmin and asked for food. The sage gave the flowers to the elderly Brahmin and went to fetch the food.
Upon his return, he found the Lord stretched out, wearing the flowers he had given. The sage asked for a place at the Lord’s feet which was granted. Because he rested on the floor here, the Lord is called Sthala Sayana Perumal.
Special features
The Lord here is known as Sthalasayana Perumal and the Universal Mother is Nilamangai Thayar. The theertham is Pundarika Pushkarani.The unusual aspect is that the Lord is resting on the floor and Adhisesha. This is the only shrine where the Lord rests directly on the floor.
Mangalasasanam
In Irandaam Thiruvandhadhi (2251), Bhoothath Alwar says Thanjai Mamani Koil, the main temple at Srirangam, Tiruthanka, Tirumala which devotees think as the Ultimate, the Ocean of Milk, the temple at Tiru-kadal-mallai, Tirukkovilur and the temple at Tirukkudanthai surrounded by walls are all places where the Lord who shot arrows so well decided to reside in.
In Peria Thirumozhi (1088-1097), Thirumangai alwar says that the Lord who ate all the worlds and kept it in His stomach to bring it back out, who is the support of this world like a strong choral pillar, the Lord who split the mouth of Kesi who came in the form of a horse, who broke the tusk of the elephant and killed it, He who resolved the troubles of Gajendra, whom one can see in one’s hour of distress is the one who is resting in Thirukkadalmallai.
Tiruvidanthai / Thiruvidanthai is a small village on the outskirts of Chennai on the shores of the Bay of Bengal about forty km due south of Chennai. The temple was built by the Pallavas with the latest additions by Cholas.
According to legend, when Hiranya stole Mother Earth and hid Her, Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar with tusks. He fought and killed the ‘asura’ and carried Her from below to restore Her position. Along the way, He gave a long discourse on various subjects including how every activity that He has created can reach him with ‘bhakti.’ He married Komalavalli here in this Desam.
Another legend is that the sage Kalava had three daughters who all wished to be married to Lord Sri Narayana. The sage came to this Desam and prayed to the Lord who agreed to marry them all one day at a time. The first daughter was Komalavalli an incarnation of Goddess Mahalakshmi. Because of this, the Lord has come to be known as ‘Nithya Kalyana Perumal’.
Special features
This Desam is known by many names such as Varaha Kshetram, Nithya Kalyana Kshetram, Asura Kaala Nalloor etc. The Lord is known as ‘Sri Lakshmi Varahan and Nithyakalyana Perumal’. The Universal Mother is ‘Komalavalli Natchiyar’.
The theertham is ‘Varaha theertham’ and ‘Kalyana theertham’. The vimana is Kalyana Vimana.
Those who wish to get married should visit this shrine.
Charama Slokam
In this ‘avatar’ the Lord speaks to Bhu Devi of ways for His creations to reach Him. The ‘charama sloka’ of Sri Varaha ‘avatar’ is considered the very first instruction by the Lord on this subject. An approximate translation of the sloka is given here. It is in the first person as spoken by the Lord.
“If anyone thinks of Me, when the mind is sound (sthite manasi),with the body in good health (suswasthe shareere), and with mental and physical faculties working intact (dhaatu saamye sthite) – realizes that I am indeed the very cause of this universe (vishwaroopam), that I am without birth (ajam) – then I assure (You, Bhumi Devi) that I will remember this devotee of Mine when they are on their deathbed, lying (helplessly) like a stone or a log of wood, and personally lead them to the Supreme Abode.”
Mangalasasanam
In his Peria Thirumozhi (1108-1117), Thirumangai Alwar plays the role of the mother of the girl who is in love with the Lord and who wants his ‘Thiru-adi sambandham.’ He says my chief who resides in Tiruvidanthai.
He asks what your disposition is towards my daughter who wants to know that the ever-beautiful Mahalakshmi born of the ocean resides in your heart. For ten pasurams he describes the thoughts of the daughter (as her mother) and asks the Lord what his plans are regarding the daughter’s future.
Ritual is an external demonstration of religion. It provides a scope for us to observe religion outwardly. It is akin to the feet of religion. It may not be the essence of the religion, yet it is not a non-essential part of the religion. It is, so to say, an outer form of religion. When its spirit is missed, religion is seen to stagnate and not rise to higher levels. Every religion has its own rituals.
In an act of puja, the mind’s joys and sorrows are demonstrated before the deity. During this religious ritual, the mind releases its limitations and experiences an expansion of its content and existence.
Ritual has a social element as well. It unites the society and the nation into a composite whole in which the parts are cemented together with a bond of affinity of feeling and purpose. This introduces strength to the society. The aspect of pilgrimage (Tirtha-Yatra) brings the advantage of historical renovation and respect for ancient traditions of different places. It arouses in the minds of people a special relationship to distant places.
Without such injunctions people will lose association with others and the force binding them into a single character, called culture will be missing.
The word Theertha” refers to sacred water. Theertha sthala or Theertha kshetra” is a sacred or holy spot. It could be a river, a lake or even a mountain that is made sacred through association with a deity or a saint. It is said that Theertha possesses three elements that make it sacred – suchi (pure}, it brings punya and it is shubha (auspicious). They are also referred to as Punya Sthalas.
Alwarsof south India are mystics whose consciousness does not work in compartments. Deep mystics as all of them are, they have revealed a new experience to the world consciousness – similar to the Vedic seers who saw all deities in one.
The Alwars composed approximately 4000 Tamil verses. In the 9th – 10th century, the philosopher saint Nathamuni took extraordinary steps to recover these verses.
Saint Nathamuni arranged them as the Divya Prabandham (Divine collection), set many of them to music and rejuvenated the tradition of formally reciting them in temples The verses of Alwars speak of the glory of Sri Maha Vishnu, of instances from Puranas and the glory of temples visited by the Alwars. The shrines visited by Alwars and sang their verses are hailed as Divya Deshams.
Srirangam Gopuram – Divya Deshams
Geographic locations
Out of the 108 Divya Deshams, 2 are celestial abodes of Lord Narayana; (click here for the complete list of 108 Divya Deshams)
The rest were located as follows-
40 of the shrines are located in the Chola kingdom in Tamilnadu;
22 are located near Kanchipuram and Chennai;
2 are located in Nadu Naadu (Tiruvahindrapuram and Tirukkovilur);
18 are located in Pandiya Nadu;
11 are in Kerala,
2 near Kanyakumari;
1 at Tirupathi;
1 at Ahobilam;
7 in Uttar Pradesh;
1 in Nepal and
1 in Gujarat
Kulasekhara Alvar
The shrines
Out of the 108 Divya Deshams,
47 have been addressed by Sri Tirumangai alwar;
18 by Nammalwar; 2 have been addressed by Tirumazhisai alwar;
1 by Kulasekhara alwar;
1 by Perialwar; the remaining 39 are addressed by hymns composed by more than one Alwar.
247 verses were addressed to Srirangam;
202 were addressed to Tirupathi;
128 were addressed to Azhagar Koil;
7 were addressed Kanchipuram
Divya Deshams – Sri Varadharaja Perumal Temple – Kanchipuram gold and Silver Lizards
Nayanmars
Saivism is one of the very ancient and dominant schools of philosophy in India, dating back to a few thousand years. A large majority of Shiva temples are seen in the south of India, some of them dating back a few thousand years.
The Nayanmars are the leaders of the Bhakti movement in the south. Sixty-two saints lived during the period 7th through the 9th century AD. These saints lived expressing their devotion to Lord Shiva. A sixty-third saint, Sundaramoorthy Nayanar honoured all these saints in his famous Tamil work Tirutondattogai. At a later date, in the 12th century AD, Sekkizhar, researched the lives of all these saints and produced his prodigious work known as Periya Puranam.
It is this group of sixty-three saints who are referred to as Nayanmars. The Tevaram hymns of the Nayanmar saints speak of the existence of 275 odd shrines during that phase of history. The traditions in these shrines survived thousands of years later to the period origin of the famous hymns. These 275 shrines are referred to “Paadal Petra Sthalams.” Following is a list of Tirumurais.
Tirumurais
There are twelve “Tirumurais”. Tirumurai means a sacred book. The first three Tirumurais were composed by three great Saivite saints. They are considered as the musical compositions of their age.
Thevaram by Tirujnana Sambandhar
Thevaram by Tirunavukkaracar
Tiruvachakam Tirukkovaiyar by Manikkavachakar
Tiruvicaippa Tiruppallandu by Tirumalikaittever, Centanar,
Forty on works by Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Ceraman Perumal Nayanar, Pattinattu -pillaiyar, Nakkiratevar Nayanar, Kapilateva Nayanar, Thiruvalavaiyudaiyar, Nampiyantarnampi, IyyadigalkatavarkonNayanar, Kalladateva Nayanar, Paranateva Nayanar, Ellamperuman Adigal and Athiravadigal.
Periya Puranam by Sekkizhar
The first seven Tirumuraigal, authored by three of the foremost Nayanmars, are called “Thevarams”. The word Thevaram means a garland of songs in praise of the Divine.
Padal Petra Sthalam
Out of the 275 Shivasthalams, the one at Tiruvidaivaai was discovered in the year 1917 and it has a “Patikam”, by Sri Sambandar, engraved on its wall. However, this Patikam is not considered part of the works of the saint traditionally associated with Tamil Tirumurais. The Shivasthalams that have at least one Patikam composed in their honour are referred to, commonly, as Padal Petra Sthalam. Hence we have 274 Padal Petra Sthalams.
In addition, though there are 249 other Shiva shrines referred to in the Tevarams, they do not bear a Patikam. These are referred to as “Tevara Vaippu Sthalams”. These Patikams have been handed over from generation to generation. Even today, we hear these hymns rendered by highly trained people in the art of singing these hymns. These people are called “Oduvars”.
Shiva temples in Kerala created by Lord Parasurama
According to legend Lord Parasurama created the land between Gokarna and Kanyakumari. He then donated this land to Brahmins and got them settled in 64 villages. Further, he consecrated 216 temples in this region – 108 Shiva temples and 108 Durga temples.
These are very old temples and the tradition of singing hymns in praise of Lord Shiva is being continued.
This temple is located just a few km west of the Chennai inner ring road, Chennai. It is very accessible from Tambaram.
Sthalapuranam
The sage Valmiki came down to this hill after worshipping the three forms of Lord Ranganatha, Lord Nrusimha and Lord Trivikrama feeling dissatisfied because he could not worship Lord Rama there. The Lord heard his thoughts and appeared in the form of Lord Rama along with His brothers and Lord Anjaneya at the foot of the hill.
The sage begged the Lord to give him His grand ‘darshan’ like this till the end of time for His devotees and the Lord agreed. The place was known as Kandabavanam before Tirumangai Alwar came here. On his arrival he found that the hill was surrounded by water and he was unable to get the ‘darshan’ and so stood on a nearby hill called Mandragiri to watch.
It became Tiruneermalai because of the water. After six months Thirumangai Alwar was able to get the ‘darshan’ and went away.
The temple is in two parts – one atop a hill and the other at ground level.
The Divya Desam has the Lord in all forms–
resting (Ranganatha),
sitting (Nrusimha),
standing (Neervannan) and
walking (Trivikrama).
The Lord on the ground level is Neervannan and the Universal Mother is Animaa-Malar-Mangai. The theertham is ‘Maniokarnika Teertham.
The Vimana is Toyagiri Vimana. Lord Rama was considered as Kalyana Rama appearing in His form before the exile with Sita and His brothers there. This was one of the eight ‘swayamvyakta- kshetrams.’
Mangalasasanam
Tirumangai Alwar in his Peria Tirumozhi (1078-1087) says in summary that the Lord can be seen in various towns and temples in all forms. All of them can be seen in one place and that is Tiruneermalai.
The Alwar said: ‘You joined with Napinnai who is the flower of her race, and with Animaamalarmangai, you joined happily with Mahalakshmi who is resident on a lotus. You destroyed the race of rakshasas without mercy. You stood, rested and sat in many places which can be seen at Tiruneermalai.
Kandavanam was a forest exclusively created for Indra. You encouraged it to be consumed by Agni. You also eliminated the burden on Mother Earth by initiating the Bharata war. You also destroyed Hiranya to protect Prahladha. You started from Vamana stature and became Trivikrama. You reside at Tiruneermalai.’
Bhuthath Alwar says in Irandaam Thiruvandhadhi (2228) referring to Tiruneermalai indirectly that He was the one who playfully measured the world with His feet. He is also the same Lord who picked the world up on the tip of His tusk. During the Pralaya, he held the world in His stomach and brought it forth during creation.
He saved us all and protected us all. When an individual devotee was threatened, He came as Lord Nrusimha and protected His devout devotee Prahalada.
Let us worship with garlands at His feet early in the morning every day and obtain His graceful blessings.
Click here for the complete list of 108 Divya Desams.
According to legend, the sage Salihotra used to grind rice into flour and share half of it with others and keep the other half for his prayers and personal use. Lord Sri Veera Raghava Perumal decided to test him and so He came in the form of a hungry old Brahmin.
The sage fed the Lord till he exhausted all his stock of rice powder. Then the Lord asked the sage for a place to rest and the sage told Him that He could take rest there. Pleased, the Lord showed His true form and blessed the sage. He took a rest at that place and placed His right palm on the head of the sage and asked him what he wanted.
The sage said that the Lord should stay there and bless His devotees at all times. The Lord granted the wish.
Special Features
The Universal Mother, Kanakavalli Thayar is the consort of Lord Sri Veera Raghava Perumal. The ‘vimana’ is ‘Vijayakoti Vimanam’ and the ‘theertham’ is ‘Hruth-Thapapa- Nasini.’ Because the Lord asked where he could rest and was told that he could rest there, the Lord was known as Kingruhesan which in Tamil is ‘Evvul Kidandhaan.’
It is believed that the right hand of the Lord which is stretched is above the head of the sage Salihotra and His left hand is in ‘Jnana Mudra’ teaching Lord Brahma. It was believed that Lord Siva was able to cast off His ‘Brahma-haththya dosha’ by visiting this temple.
Hence there was a shrine to Lord Siva on the banks of the temple pond. It was believed that Mahalakshmi was born as the daughter of a local king and married the Lord.
Mangalasasanam
In his Naanmugan Tiruvandhadhi, (2412) Thirumazhisai Alwar refers to this shrine indirectly by pointing out that when Lord Siva got affected by the curse by Lord Brahma, it was Lord Narayana who ended it. Those who don’t know about worshipping Lord Narayana will suffer from conception and their story will be as long as the Mahabharata war.
In Peria Tirumozhi (1058-1067), Tirumangai Alwar identifies the Lord of Tiruvallur as the one who destroyed Lanka which was the capital city of the king who came in the guise of a ‘sanyasi’ to abduct Sita. The Lord as Lord Krishna stole the butter from women when He was a naughty boy. He now rests in Tiruvallur.
He was a child resting on a tender banyan leaf during the ‘Pralaya’ holding all the seven worlds in His stomach for a long time. He, with lotus-like eyes, rests in Tiruvallur surrounded by neithal flowers where bees hum and fly.
For the complete list of 108 Divya Desams, Click here
Arulmigu Ennai Petra Thayaar samedha Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple – Tirunindravur
Tirunindravur (30 km off Chennai to the west) is a suburb of Chennai off the Chennai- Bengaluru highway.
Sthalapuranam
Legend has it that Mahalakshmi (Thiru) became angry with Samudrarajan and came away from Srivaikuntam to reside here. Even Samudrarajan’s best efforts could not convince her to return to Srivaikuntam.
Finally, it took the effort of the Lord himself to convince her to return. Because the Universal Mother came and took residence here, this place came to be known as Tirunindravur or the place where Mahalakshmi stood.
Click here for the location of the temple on Google Maps
Special features
When Tirumangai Alwar travelled across the land performing mangalasasanam, he did not sing about this shrine. Mahalakshmi told Perumal to go and get himself sung by the Alwar. By this time, he had reached Tirukadalmallai and the Alwar noticed the Perumal had come in search of him and sang the mangalasasanam for Tirunindravur at Tirukadalmallai.
Because the Lord acted out of affection for the bhakta, he is known as Bhaktavatsalan.
The universal mother is known as Ennai-petra Thayar.
The Vimana is Srinivasa Vimanam and the pushkarani is Varuna Pushkarani.
Mangalasasanam
Because Tirumangai Alwar went past Tirunindravur without singing, legend has it that Mahalakshmi asked the Lord to go after the Alwar and get him to sing about them. Consequently, the songs are found under Tirukadalmallai where the Lord finally caught up with the Alwar.
Noticing the Lord coming up to him the Alwar refers to him as the Lord who appears as cool as a heap of pearls in Tirunaindravur. The affectionate legend has it that Mahalakshmi was aghast that Tirunindravur got only a single pasuram and sent the Lord back for more!
Click here for the complete list of 108 Divya Desams
Tiruparameswara Vinnagaram (better known as Vaikunta Perumal Temple) is located in Kanchipuram, 70 km west of Chennai.
Sri Vaikunta Perumal Temple – Sthalapuranam
Legend has it that the dwara palakas of Mahavishnu were born as Pallava and Villava and they performed Ashwamedha yajnam at the temple’s location. The Lord gave darshan as Parameswaran or Vaikuntanathan and has continued to reside at the temple since then.
The temple and the locality have this name because of their association with King Parameswaravarman I (Pallava King).
The Lord of this temple and the sanctum are both monolithic in keeping with Pallava construction techniques. The Lord is Paramapadhanathan or Vaikuntanathan. The universal mother is Vaikuntavalli Thayar. The Vimana is Mukunda Vimanam and the Pushkarani is Airammadha Pushkarani.
The Vimana is a three-tier one with the Lord seated in the first tier, resting in the second and standing as Paravasudeva in the third. Once upon a time, this temple was a matam (A charity established to feed pilgrims in those days) for the convenience of pilgrims to Kasi.
The Pallava king Parameswaran (660 CE) enlarged it to its present condition.
Mangalasasanam
Tirumangai Alwar has sung about this temple in his Peria Thirumozhi (1128 CE). He describes how the Lord of this temple is the prime principle behind all the senses through which we try to perceive Him. These include the spoken word, the smelt smell, the seen figure and the heard sound.
He is behind all of them as the lasting principle behind the Vedas. He is also the one worshipped by Kings such as Pallava and Villava and he resides in Parameswara Vinnagaram in Kanchi. He resides in Brahma, God of creation, and conducts the protection himself. He continues to extoll the virtues of this Lord in 10 Pasurams.
Approximately seventy-five km due west and a little south of Chennai on the Chennai–Bengaluru national highway lies a small hamlet called Thiruppukuzhi / Tiruputkuzhi. According to the local legend, it is intimately connected with Jatayu and the Adhi Kavya, the Ramayana.
Depending on the source of information available, Jatayu is either an eagle or a vulture. Many places in South India connect with Jatayu and the Ramayana. The relevant point is that Lord Rama had respect for someone who was his father’s friend and showed His gratitude for the service rendered by Jatayu.
All our ‘Ithihasas’, Puranas and long-standing stories are more relevant for the morals and values they convey rather than their physical reality.
In Aranya Kanda, one reads about Lord Rama and Lakshmana who begin their search for Sita after her abduction. They come across what appeared to be the signs of battle. They also encounter a huge bird, an eagle or vulture, lying on the ground bleeding because its wings have been chopped off. Lord Rama goes forward to end the bird because He is certain that the bird is a Rakshasa in disguise and has devoured Sita.
Going closer, they realize that it is Jatayu. The bird tells Lord Rama that it is Ravana, the son of the sage Vishrava who has taken the Princess of Videha by force and was heading towards the South.
Jatayu had tried to stop Ravana from carrying out this evil deed but in vain. Ravana has struck a mortal blow and cuts Jatayu’s wings off. After giving all this information in detail, Jatayu dies. Lord Rama proceeds to follow the necessary rituals for cremation. To Him, Jatayu, the ruler of the feathered kingdom is as venerable as King Dasharatha, his father. (Valmiki Ramayana 3-68-26).
Many thousand years later, when Periya Nambi, a Brahmin, was about to do the last rites for Maraner Nambi, a Dalit, the people of Srirangam asked how such a thing could be justified. Periya Nambi replied that if Lord Rama Himself could perform the last rites for a bird and grant Jatayu moksha, then Maraner Nambi fully deserved it in the same lines.
Arulmigu Sri Vijayaraghava Swamy – Special Features
Jatayu Theertham
The temple precincts are now fairly close to the highway and the temple Vimana is visible from the national highway. Thiru refers to auspiciousness, put is bird and kuzhi is pit. This is where Lord Rama did the last rites for the bird and the temple tank is ‘grudra-saras’ or ‘Jatayu Theertham.’ A shrine to Jatayu and a huge statue are seen facing the tank.
It may be noted that the ‘Bali Peetam’ and the ‘dwajastambham’ are located outside the temple walls. The temple is spacious and quiet. It is filled with the coos of pigeons fluttering around the Veerakoti Vimanam today. Lord Rama gives ‘darshan’ in the Narayana form, as Lord Vijaya Raghavan, as He has granted salvation to Jatayu. He is seen seated with Jatayu cradling in His lap. Sridevi and Bhudevi are there by the side of the Lord.
Goddess Andal
Sridevi who normally is seen to the Lord’s right is unable to handle the ‘Jwala’ emanating from the cremation of Jatayu and so moves to the Lord’s left, slightly tilting her face away. Likewise, Goddess Thayar’s shrine is located to the left of the Lord and the shrine to Goddess Andal is located to the right of the Lord in the temple.
As one comes down the steps after the ‘darshan,’ one notices the handholds along the steps beautifully carved out of stone. They are very helpful because the steps are a little bit steep.
Vahana Mandapams
At the back of the temple are the Vahana ‘mandapas’. The various ‘Vahanas’ is used during the Brahmotsavams when the ‘utsava murti’ is taken out in a grand procession. The speciality is the wooden horse ‘vahana’ which is sprung in such a way that it rocks like a real galloping horse while being carried during festivals.
The carpenter who made the ‘vahana’ is honoured even today. When the Lord emerges on the horse in procession, He still stops in front of the house of the carpenter.
Goddess Maragathavalli Thayar
Amavasya days are special for the temple. Goddess Maragathavalli Thayar is worshipped especially by those desiring progeny. Childless women bathe in the temple tank and tie a handful of roasted green gram in their sari end and perform ‘vrata’ on New Moon night.
The green-gram sprouts indicate that they will have children with the Mother’s blessing. The temple is also important for a child’s first tonsure. A more recent relevance of Tiruputkuzhi is that Bhagavad Ramanuja as a young boy started his education in the school run by Yadavaprakasa.
This was run in the temple precincts. There is a small plaque commemorating this in the hall next to the shrine of the goddess Andal.
Mangalasasanam
In fact, Thirumangai Alwar has written the ‘mangalasasanam’ for the temple. He refers to Tiruputkuzhi as the place where the lush greenery with plenty of water attracts our senses and where the Lord Sri Vijayaragahava resides. The majestic appearance of Sri Vijaya Raghava Perumal made Swami Desikan compose ‘Paramarthastuti.’
In the very first sloka, he refers to the destroyer of Ravana, seated by the ‘grudra-saras’ giving His worshippers ‘darshan’ like the Parijata tree in Indra’s garden. He is only saying what the sage Bhrugu said in the Vamana Purana. Nothing more needs to be said than bathing in the ‘Grudra- Pushkarini’ or the auspicious Eagle Tank and prostrating before the Lord and worshipping Him devoutly.
About a 2-hour drive due west and a little south of Chennai, it is located just off the Chennai– Bengaluru national highway. The nearest airport is Chennai. A total of 15 Divya Desams are in Kanchipuram. Ashtabhujam temple is located in Ennaikaran, about 2 km from Sri Varadarajaswamy temple and Thiruthannka is the older name of Thoopul.
Click here for the Google Maps location (Divyadesam Sri Ashtabujakara Perumal Temple)
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ASHTABHUJAM – Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple
Sthalapuranam
Legend has it that Lord Brahma tried to perform a ‘yajna’ without his wife Saraswati. She got angry and tried to attack the place of ‘yajna’ so that the ‘yajna’ would remain incomplete. She sent darkness which was nullified by Lord Vishnu in the form of a lamp. Hence it is Deepa Prakasar (Thoopul Temple).
Then She sent an eight armed Kali to destroy the place. The Lord took the form of eight-armed Nrusimha and overcame Her. Hence it is Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple. Then She became a river in flood called Vegavati and wanted to fill the ‘yajnasala’ with terrible flood. The Lord rested in the path of the river (Yatokthakari Temple – Vegasethu) like a dam.
She went underground to avoid coming into contact with Him. Finally, the Lord rose in complete glory in the Punnyakoti Vimana as the ultimate King of Boons (Varadharajan) from the ‘yajna’ flames. The marks of the fire can be seen on the face of the ‘utsava idol’ even today.
In Tirumala and Srirangam, the Moolavar or main resident idol are ‘Swayam Vyakta’ (Self-Manifest). In Kanchipuram the ‘utsavar’ (idol seen outside the temple by all) is ‘Swayam Vyakta.’ Just outside the sanctum are two lizards made of precious metal. Legend is that if one touches them and then has the ‘ darshan’ of the Lord, they will be cured of all ills.
Legend is that Rishi Sringibhera had two sons who were cursed by their teacher Gautama to become lizards. They were released from their curses by Sri Varadaraja and attained ‘moksha.’
The Yoga Nrusimha shrine below Hastigiri Hill facing east is considered by many to be the original shrine in this temple. There are many who will worship at Perundevi Thayar shrine and Nrusimha shrine first before worshipping Sri Varadaraja at the main sanctum.
When Goddess Saraswati wanted to destroy Lord Brahma’s ‘yagasala’ so the ‘yajna’ remains incomplete, She sent hordes of ‘rakshasas’ and eight armed Kali to do the job. Lord Brahma prayed to Vishnu who appeared in eight-armed form and destroyed the ‘rakshasas’ and brought Kali under control and drove her away.
Sri Adhikesava Perumal
The original God of this temple is Sri Adhikesava Perumal and the Lord settled in the same Divya Desam in His eight-armed form. There is another legend which is famous i.e., the act of saving the elephant Gajendra from the crocodile took place here and hence the Lord is also known as Gajendra Varadhan.
Special Features
This is the only temple in the 108 Divya Desams where the Lord appears with eight hands holding a multiplicity of weapons. It is also the only temple where there is ‘mangalasasanam’ done by an ‘alwar’ exclusively for the universal mother.
The Lord is Ashtabhuja Perumal or Adhi Kesava Perumal. The Universal Mother is Alarmelmanga or Padmasini. The Vimana is Chakrakruthi Vimana. The Theertham is Gajendra Pushkarni. The time of the establishment of the temple is unknown.
It is one of the oldest temples in Kanchipuram. It is believed to have been built by Pallavas before the 7th Century CE. There is a contribution from the medieval Cholas and the kings of Vijayanagara.
Mangalasasanam
In ‘Moondram Thiruvandhadhi (2380), Pey Alwar sings about this Lord as, he who is victorious with all eight weapons and who has taken up residence in Ashtabhuja temple in Kanchipuram, He further adds that this is the Lord who saved the elephant Gajendra from the crocodile by flawlessly aiming the Sudarshana. The Alwar says that the release from samsara is possible only by surrendering to this Lord.
In Peria Thirumozhi (1118-1127), Thirumangai Alwar says that when he saw the form that held Lord Rudra (Tripurari) and Lord Brahma in awe, the form which all worshipped in all the worlds, Lord Nrusimha who tore the chest of Hiranyakasipa, asked who could this be? The Lord responded ‘It is Me, the Ashtabhuja Perumal’.
“He is surrounded by bees from the Tulasi garlands that are on Him. I don’t have the ability to describe the designs that are drawn on Him with sandalwood paste. His eyes are lotus flowers drawn by experts in painting. I am left wondering and I ask who this is. He says I am the One with eight hands!”
THIRUTHANNKA (THOOPUL) – Villakolli Perumal
Sthalapuranam
Kindly check the Sthalapuranam mentioned above.
When Saraswati sent a wave of darkness (by dimming our perception of the sun and the moon), the Lord held out a light to illuminate. This can also be said to be the Lord holding out the light of jnana to dispel Sarawati sending Ajnana. It is said that Saraswati became cool water and so became the theertham in this Divya Desam.
Click here for the Google Maps location ( Divyadesam 45 Arulmigu Sri Vilakkoli Perumal Temple)
Special Features:
Thann means cool and Ka means parks. Because Brahma did his yajna here amongst such pleasant surroundings the place got this name. The Lord here is Deepaprakasar or Villakolli Perumal. The Universal Mother is Marakathavalli Thayar. The Vimana is Sreekara Vimana and the Theertham is Saraswati Theertham.
It was built probably during Pallava times, it was expanded by medieval Cholas and Vijayanagar kings.
Sri Vedanta Desika was born and lived in a house near the temple. The well built by him is still there. He was an ardent devotee of Sri Deepaprakasar. The utsava idol of Sri Varadarajswamy is brought to the site of Sri Vedanta Desika’s house on three days a year as a mark of respect for the Acharya.
Mangalasasanam
Thirumangai Alwar in Peria Thirumozhi (1949) says that the Lord is so good to see like gold atop Thiruvengadam Hills, one should leave Tirumala Hills and go to Thiruthannka to worship again
The distance between Thiruvahindrapuramand Chennai is 200 km. It is towards the west of the town of Cuddalore. Thiruvahindrapuram is one of the most famous Divya Desams. A part of the temple is at the ground level whereas the other half is on a small hillock.
The temple’s name, “Thiruvahindrapuram,” translates to “the abode of Lord Indra,” signifying its significance as a divine sanctuary.
According to the legend, a battle between ‘devas’ and ‘asuras’ took place. Lord Siva took the side of ‘asuras’ while Lord Vishnu took the side of Devas. Lord Vishnu appeared to Siva in the form of Trimurthy and Lord Siva withdrew immediately on realizing His mistake. Hence the name Muvaragiya Oruvar to the Lord of this temple as He represents the combined form of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Rudra.
At the end of the battle, the Lord felt thirsty. He asked Garuda to get Him some water. Garuda went to Viraja River to get the purest water possible. Seeing the Lord waiting, Adhisesha beat the ground with his tail and water came up. Hence Sesha Theertham and Viraja rivers form part of the temple waters. The Viraja River became the Gedilam River which flows even today.
Sri Devanayakan Temple – Special Features
The Lord is known as Devanayakan or Muvaragiya Oruvan. The goddess is known as Vaikunta Nayaki or Hemabujavalli or Bharghavi. The ‘vimana’ is Chandra or ‘Sudha-sathva vimana.’ The temple pond is called Sesha Theertham.
The river Gedilum flows nearby. As an indication of His Trimurthy status, the Lord wears a lotus (as Lord Brahma), Conch & Discus (as Lord Vishnu) and a third eye (as Lord Shiva). When Lord Anjaneya carried Sanjeevani Hill to Lanka during the battle, a few pieces fell here and hence this place is called ‘Oushada-Giri.’
Devotees offer salt, pepper and jaggery at the wall of the temple to cure themselves of their afflictions.
On a hill next to the temple is the place where Sri Vedanta Desika prayed to Garuda and received the idol of Lord Hayagreeva.
The idol is still in worship. Here he wrote the famous Hayagreeva Stotram. He is said to have determined the ‘sampradhayam’ for Vadakalai sect of the Iyengar community while he resided here for a few decades. The famous Hayagriva stotram “Gnananandam Mayam Devam” was written by Sri Vedanta Desika here.
The temple got great contributions from medieval Cholas, Hoysalas, Pandiyas and Vijayanagara kings. The temple is famous for its recitation of Nalayira Divya Prabhandham.
Mangalasasanam
Thirumangai Alwar sang about this Divya Desam in Periya Thirumoli (1148-1157). The Alwar identifies the Divya Desam and the Lord in it as the same Lord who brought forth the world on His tusks in ‘Varaha Avataar’. He is also the same Lord who does ‘yoga nidhra’ on Adhisesha.
This Divya Desam is the same where the bees drink the nectar from ‘punai’ flowers. It is Thiruvahindrapuram. It is also the same place where the Lord who split the chest of Hiranyakasipa and crowned his son Prahalada king resided in the temple. This is the same place where the sugarcane grows tall and its juices flood the fields. It is Thiruvahindrapuram. The Lord broke the bow for the dark-haired Mahalakshmi.
When the rain threatened Gokulam, He held up the Govardhan Hill to protect the cows. He resides in the temple. It is the same place where rivers bring forth the tusks of elephants from the hills. It is Thiruvahindrapuram.
