Madhavaram Sri Kari Varadaraja Perumal Temple- Chennai

Address

Madhavaram Sri Kari Varadaraja Perumal Temple- Madhavaram, Chennai- 600060. Tamil Nadu

Diety

Sri Kari Varadaraja Perumal Amman: Kanavalli Thayar

Introduction

The Kari Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Madhavaram, a suburb of Chennai, is a significant religious site with a history dating back approximately 500 years. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Kari Varadaraja Perumal and the Divine Mother Shakti as Kanakavalli Thayar.

Temple Location:

The Kari Varadaraja Perumal Temple is situated on Perumal Koil Street in Madhavaram, Chennai. It is approximately 1 kilometer away from the Madhavaram Bus Depot.

Idols and Deities:

As you enter the temple, you’ll find a colossal 21-foot idol of Lord Hanuman (Anjaneyaswamy) that was installed in February 2001.
The temple’s sacred tree, known as the Sthala Viruksham, is a Vanni Tree under which Naga Devathas (serpent deities) are worshipped.
Kanakavalli Thayar has her separate shrine within the temple premises.

Legend of Kari Varadaraja Perumal:

The name “Kari Varadaraja” derives from the story of a king named Indra-dhyuman. He was cursed by the sage Agasthiyar to be reborn as an elephant due to his disrespectful behavior.
Knowing that his life as an elephant was his last birth, the king prayed to Lord Vishnu. Vishnu guided the king to a place where harvested paddy lay like mountains, and there, the king was transformed into an elephant.
The elephant retained memories of its previous life and offered a lotus to Lord Vishnu every day.
A Gandharva named Goo-Goo came from Devaloka, transformed into a crocodile, and began playing in the temple pond. This caused interruptions during the sage Bharadhwaja’s Sandhi pooja.
In response, the sage cursed the Gandharva to remain a crocodile. However, the sage also revealed that the Gandharva could regain his original form if he caught the legs of the Vishnu-bhakta elephant.
One day, as the elephant attempted to take a lotus from the temple pond, the crocodile caught its leg. When the elephant called out to Lord Vishnu, Vishnu appeared, rescued both of them, and granted them liberation (Moksha).
Thus, the name “Varadharaja” refers to Lord Vishnu’s role as the “boon-granting king” who bestowed salvation on the elephant.

Features of the Temple:

The primary sanctum of the temple houses Lord Varadaraja Perumal with Sridevi and Bhoodevi in a standing posture.
The temple also has separate shrines for Kanakavalli Thayar, Chakrathalwar, Andal, Sudarshanalvar, Narasimhar, Dhanvantari Bhagavan, and Lakshmi Varagar.
Lord Varadaraja in this temple is known for the unique feature of opening His eyes to bless His devotees.
There’s a 21-foot-tall sculptural form of Lord Hanuman (Anjaneyar) in front of the temple, serving on a north-facing pole.

Festivals:

The main festivals celebrated at the Kari Varadaraja Perumal Temple include Kungumarchanai, Thai, Audi Friday, Navratri, Panguni Uthira Thirukkalyanam, and Tamil New Year.