Thiruputkuzhi Vijayaraghava Perumal

This temple marks the place where Jatayu was given Moksha by Rama. The temple is located 8 kms from Kanchipuram towards Bengaluru on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway.

The name of the Perumal is Vijayaraghava Perumal. As Perumal is performing rites with his right hand, Sreedevi moves to the left of Perumal with her head slightly tilted whereas Bhoodevi who bears the heat is at the right of Perumal.

The name of the Thayar is Varuththa Payaru Mulaika Vaitha Maragadhavalli. On Amavasai, fried beans is offered as Neivedyam for Ambal and then tied to the stomach of ladies who are looking to get children. The women will then sleep overnight at the mandapam outside the Thayar sannidhi. If the beans sprout then the devotee can expect to become pregnant soon.

Divya Desams in Kanchipuram

This note is to provide information about visiting Divya Desams in Kanchipuram.

We started at  2:30 p.m from Chennai and reached Kanchipuram at 3:45 p.m (about 73 kms). The temples listed in Part 1 below were covered in one evening (4.30 p.m - 7.30 p.m). The temples in Part 2 were visited in the following morning (8 a.m - 11 a.m).

Part 1

• Varadaraja Perumal
• Ashtabhuja Perumal
• Yadothkari Perumal
• Azhagiya Singar
• Deepa Prakasar
• Ulagalanda Perumal

Part 2

• Kamakshi Amman Temple - Adi Varaha Perumal
• Pachchai Varna Perumal
• Pavazha Varna Perumal
• Ekambreswarar Temple -  Nila Thunda Perumal
• Pandava Dhoothar Perumal 
• Vaikunta Perumal: The temple has Perumal in Nindra, Amarndha and Saayndha kolams i.e, standing, sitting and lying positions. The Perumal in standing and lying posiitons can be seen only on Ekadasi.

Tiruputkuzhi - another Divya Desam, is about 8 kms from Kanchipuram on the Chennai - Bangalore Highway towards Bangalore. 

Kanchipuram Ulagalanda Perumal

This Temple is a unique in that there are 4 Divya Desams in this temple itself. 

The Ulagalanda Perumal Moolavar shows Perumal with one foot on Maha Bhali’s head and another in the air. Near the Moolavar sannidhi one can see the Perumal as Adisesha or Ooragathan. In the outer Praharam, one can find Neeragathan (Nindra Kolam) of Tiruneeragam, Karagathan (Amarndha Kolam on Adisesha) and Kaanavarna Perumal (in Nindra Kolam with Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi). The name of the Thayar is Aaranavalli Thayar.

The temple is open from 7.30 am to 12 pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm. 

Kanchipuram Azhagiya Singar

This temple is a Divya Desam (74th/108) and also known as Tiruvellukai. 

The name of the Moolavar is Azhagiya Singar or Yoga Narasimhar. He came to protect His devotees during the yagna that was performed by Lord Brahma and stayed back to protect all His devotees from Asuras. The name of the Thayar is Amrutavalli. The name of the lake is Kanaka/ Hema Saras. The Lord became Pratyaksha to Sage Brighu.

Kanchipuram Deepa Prakasar

This temple is a Divya Desam that is famous for the Moolavar and Utsavar of Vedanta Desika. The Sthalam is called Thirutanka and is in Little Kanchi. The name of the Moolavar is Deepa Prakasar and that of the Thayar is Maragathavalli. 

According to Sthala Puranam, Lord Bramha performed a yagna without His wife Goddess Saraswathi.  On knowing that, Goddess Saraswathi was enraged and in an attempt to disrupt the sacrifice, took away all the lights and the entire area was engulfed in darkness. When Lord Brahma prayed to Lord Vishnu for help, Perumal then came to the rescue as Deepa Prakasar or Vilakku Oli Perumal and returned light and brightness and to the area. The yagna then continued and then the murthi of Lord Varadaraja Perumal appeared.

Praying to the Deepa Prakasar Perumal by lighting lamps is said to safeguard the devotee from fire accidents, remove ailments of the eye etc.

The temple is open from 10 am to 11.30 am and from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm. 

Kanchipuram Yadothkari Perumal

The temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams and is located in the lane opposite to the lane of Ashtabhuja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram. The name of the Thayar is Komalavalli Thayar. The Perumal is in the lying position on Adisesha.

According to Sthala Puranam, Brahma performed a yagna without His wife Saraswathi. On knowing that, Goddess Saraswathi was enraged and took the form of a rapidly flowing river - River Vegavathi in an attempt to wash away the yagna. However, Lord Vishnu came to the rescue of Brahma’s yagna and lay down in the path of the river - obstructing the flow of Vegavathi river. The river was unable to flow beyond the lying Perumal and disappeared into the earth. The Sthalam is hence called Thiruvekka. 

Thirumazhisai Azhwar sung praises of this deity so beautifully that the king who heard the verses wanted Thirumazhisai Azhwar to sing praises of the king too. Refusing to sing praises of anybody but the divine Lord, Thirumazhisai Azhwar decided to leave the town and asked the Yadothkari Perumal to also leave with him. Perumal left the town with Adisesha also along with Azhwar. When the king realized his mistake and pleaded with Thirumazhisai Azhwar to return, Perumal also returned but lay down in the reverse position. The head of Pallikonda Perumal is typically to the left when one enters the Garba Griham. However in this temple, the head of the Perumal is on the right. Since Perumal did what he was told to, He is called “Sonna Vannal Seidha Perumal” or “Yadokthakari”.

This is also the place where Poigai Azhwar is said to have taken Avatar.

Kanchipuram Ashtabhuja Perumal

Pushpavalli Thayar sametha Ashtabhuja Perumal is also known as Adikesava Perumal. The temple is the 75th Divya Desam.

The name of the Theertham is Gajendra Pushkarani. It is in this lake that the tale of Gajendra Moksham unfolded. Gajendra was an elephant who was attacked by a crocodile in a lake. The elephant called out to Perumal as Aadhimoolam for help, offering Him a lotus. Perumal came at once to Gajendra's rescue, killed the crocodile with his Chakra and granted Salvation to the elephant. Gajendra in his previous life was a king called Indradyumna. Indradyumna was cursed by Sage Agastya to take the form of an elephant. Similarly the crocodile was also a cursed Gandharva. The crocodile also obtained Salvation on being vanquished by Perumal.

The Ashtabhuja Perumal has Lotus, Sword, Arrow and Chakram in his right hands. The left hands bear Mace, Shield, Bow and Conch.

The temple is open from 6.30 am to 12 pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal

The Moolavar of this temple is Devarajaswamy and the name of the Thayar is Perundevi Thayar. The roof of a Sannidhi has a Golden Lizard, a Silver Lizard, Sun and Moon. Touching the Lizards is supposed to help remove one’s sins and secure a place in Vaikuntam. The Utsavar Moorthi is placed in a Room of mirrors. There are also Sannidhis for Azhagiya Singar, Dhanvanthri and Malayala Nachiyar. This is the temple in which Saint Ramanujar was instructed to go to Tirukoshtiyur. This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams.

According to Sthala Puranam, Lord Bramha performed a yagna without His wife Goddess Saraswathi.  On knowing that, Goddess Saraswathi was enraged and attempted to disrupt the sacrifice. When Lord Brahma prayed to Lord Vishnu for help, Perumal then came to the rescue. The yagna then continued and then the murthi of Lord Varadaraja Perumal appeared.

There is a story about the Golden Lizard and Silver Lizard in the temple. There were two disciples for sage Gouthama - Heman and Shuklan who once brought water for performing pooja in a pot without realising that there was a lizard in the pot. They were cursed to tun into lizards for their carelessness. When Heman and Shuklan prayed for forgiveness, they were told that they would be released from their curse when Indra came to offer prayers to Varadaraja Perumal. When Indra came to this sthalam to get relief from the curse of Goddess Saraswathi, Heman and Shuklan also were granted relief from their curses. 

Additional details can be accessed at www.kanchivaradarajartemple.com. Sarva darshanam is from 7 am to 11 am, from 12 pm to 12.30 pm and from 5 pm to 8.30 pm. Kattana Seva is from 11 am to 12 pm and from 3.30 pm to 5 pm. Kattana seva is at a nominal fee for devotees. The temple is currently seeking donation for renovating the temple. The temple is about 4 kms from Ulagalanda Perumal temple.

This temple is also supposed to be of special significance for Krittikai Nakshatra, Uthradam Nakshatra people.

In the Tamil month of Adi (month of July/ August), Ananthazhwar Sevai is conducted on Valarpirai Dasami and Theipirai Ekadasi. The significance of these two days is that Adiseshan (or Anantha Azhwar) is supposed to visit the temple for worshipping Varadaraja Perumal on these two days. So if we worship Perumal on these two days, we will get relief from Naga Dosha.