Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram

Address

Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple, Kancheepuram

Then Thirupathi – Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor,

Madurantakam, Chengalpet,

Kancheepuram district – 603308

Phone: +91- 44 – 6747 1398

Moolavar

Prasanna Venkatesa

Amman

Alarmel Mangai Thaayaar

Introduction

Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple is dedicated to God Vishnu located at Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor in Kanchipuram district of Tamilnadu. The Temple is located on a small hill, which is also called Then Thirumalai. Goddess here is Alarmel Mangai Thaayaar. This hill has various names like Vaikundagiri, Dhakshina Garudagiri, Dhakshina Venkatagiri, Dhakshina Seshagiri, Varaaha Kshetram and Ramanuja Yogagiri. The Temple is located about 75kms South of Madras off Padalam on the GST Highway. One has to climb 500 steps to reach the temple.

Puranic Significance

Story behind the lighting of Deepam during Thiruvonam Star Day:

Each month on the Thiruvonam Star day, Ona Dheepam is lighted in the temple. It is said that Emperor Mahabali was a rat in one of his previous births and lived in a Shiva temple. When a lamp in the temple was about to extinct, the rat incidentally fell on the lamp rekindling the wick of the lamp. The lamp continued to burn. This rewarded him with a royal birth as Emperor Mahabali. He was graced by Lord Vishnu on an Onam Star day. Remembering the event, a big lamp (Aganda Dheepam) is lit in the temple on each Thiruvonam star day. Lord Srinivasa offers Darshan on the day in the front mandapam. Yajnas, Thirumanjanam and wedding pujas are performed here. The Aganda Dheepam is placed at the feet of the Lord. Those facing problems about marriage, concerned about children offer ghee to the lamp for relief.

Aadhisesan wish to serve Lord Vishnu as an Umbrella: Aadhisesan prayed Srinivasa Perumal and told that he had a wish to serve as an umbrella to the Lord. Srinivasa Perumal agreed and told that his wish would come true at Dhakshina Garudagiri. In Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor Aadhisesan is seen above the deity Srinivasa Perumal’s head as an umbrella. Hence, this place came to be known as Dhakshina Seshagiri.

Lord Vishnu helped King Thondaiman in war:

There was an ancient king called Thondaiman who was an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara at Thirupathi. Once, Lord Venkateswara helped the king with His Conch (Sangu) and Chakra to defeat the enemies. The king after defeating his enemies built a beautiful temple for the Lord at Thirupathi. Lord Venkateswara gave him Dharshan here on a chariot with a Sengol, the symbolic weapon held by kings. The foot marks of the horse and the marks of the chariot wheel are seen on some rocks of the hill here.

Story behind the name Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor:

During the battle between Rama and Ravana, Lakshmana fainted on the battle field. Rama sent Hanuman to bring the Sanjeevi hill to cure Lakshmana. Hanuman brought the Sanjeevi hill as told by Rama. It is said that Hanuman worshipped Varaaha Perumal and Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal on this hill, on the way back to Lanka, carrying the Sanjeevi hill. As Sanjeevi hill should not be placed on ground, it is said that Hanuman shifted the hill from his right hand to left hand to offer obeisance to the Gods here. As the holy Sanjeevi hill was not kept on ground here by Hanuman, this place came to be known as Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor.

Brahma worshipped Vishnu by lighting Lamps:

Once, Brahma went to Thirupathi and worshipped Lord Venkateswara by lighting two lamps. He prayed the Lord that the lamps should glow nonstop till Kaliyugam exists. The Lord granted his wish and said that he would give Dharshan to devotees in the form of Jyothi on all Thiruvonam days at Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor and till that Jyothi Dharshan continues, the lights lit by Brahma would be alive. Lord Brahma then came here to this place and worshipped the Lord and got Dharshan in the form of Jyothi. Rama worshipped Vishnu here: It is also said that Sri Rama after the battle with Ravana came here, bathed in Varaaha Theertham and worshipped the Lord, on his way back to Ayodhya. Ramanuja links with this place: Sri Ramanuja had worshipped the Lord here and named the place ‘Vaikundagiri’. He also had stayed in this place and meditated the Lord. Hence this place is also called as Ramanuja Yogagiri.

Beliefs

Devotees pray to Lord Aadhi Varaha Perumal for relief from all bad effects. They pray to Lord lighting ghee lamps on Thiruvonam star day and offering vastras. Devotees perform Thirumanjanam to Lord and Mother and offer Pongal nivedhana

Special Features

The Temple is believed to be 1800 years old. The temple is beautifully located on the hill top. There are about 500 steps on the hill to reach the temple. There is a proper road also to reach the temple by vehicles. Though the main deity is Venkatesa Perumal the Aadhi Murthy here is Varaaha Perumal. One has to first visit Varaaha Perumal before visiting the main deity. Varaaha Perumal is seen with Lakshmi facing west. Also, when the temple is opened, Varaaha Perumal’s shrine is opened first and all the offerings are made to him first, before others. The main deity Srinivasa Perumal is seen facing west. The Lord is beautifully decorated with ornaments and gives Dharshan exactly as in Thirupathi.

Goddess Alarmel Mangai Thaayaar has a separate shrine here. There are separate shrines for Sri Aandaal and Sri Ramanuja too. The inner prakarams have lot of stone pillars and spread on a wide area. The pillars have some exquisite carvings on them. The Theertham for this temple is called Varaaha Theertham which is at the foot of this hill. The path to the Theertham is not Motorable but looks beautiful when seen from the hill top. Anjaneyar shrine is present facing the hill opposite to the stair way to the temple.

The temple has a vast outer prakaram with huge stone walls surrounding it. Garuda Bhagavan is seen on specific corners on the wall, guarding the Lord. It is also said that people visiting Thirupathi should also visit Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor and bathe in Varaaha Theertham and worship Prasanna Venkateswara Perumal here, only after which the pilgrimage gets complete. The place is also known as Dakshina Seshagiri. Lord Perumal appears in the sanctum sanctorum in his royal posture holding the scepter. His two Mahalakshmis are on both sides of his broad chest. Divine serpent Adi Sesha is on the Thiruvasi the frame around the Lord in upside down U letter shape with all craftsmanship. Lord is wearing Ashtalakshmi-Sahasranama malas and Dasavatara Odyanam the belt around the waist.

Lord grants Netra darshan (Darshan of eyes only) without any special Alankarams on Thursday mornings. The view of Lord falls on the devotees. Of the Dwarapalakas, Jayan is wearing the Simha design ear ring and Vijayan is wearing the Gaja –elephant designed ear rings. This is a different feature in this temple. Lord Lakshmi Varaha is in a separate shrine with his own Kodimaram-flag post. He has his right leg on Adisesha’s tail and the left on head, holding Mother Mahalakshmi on his lap. The first Deepa Aradhana is dedicated to him as he is the Pradhana murthi in the temple. Even during festivals to Lord Prasanna Venkateswara, the flag hoisting is done in this shrine only. The temple belongs to Thiruvonam star.

There are two procession deities, Srinivasa and Kallarpiran. The former comes in car procession during the Purattasi festival and later in Chithirai festival. There are shrines for Chakarathzhwar, Venugopalar and Lord Rama in the temple. Sri Veera Anjaneya is at the foot of the temple in a flying posture. Devotees submit their prayers in writing to Sri Anjaneya; cover it in a yellow cloth along with an unstrapped coconut. Lord Lakshmi Ganapathi shrine is nearby

Prior to his Pancha Samskaram at Eri Kaatha Rama temple at Madurantakam, Ramanuja is believed to have stayed here in a Yogic Posture before making the trip south wards to Madurantakam. There are three entrances in the temple – the first one to Varahar and other Sannadhis, the second one for Srinivasa perumal, Thayar and Andal Sannadhis and the third one with a big gopuram for Chakrathaazhwar and Narasimhar and Sri Vedantha Desikar.

Festivals

The temple celebrates Bhrammotsavam in Chithirai (April – May) and in Purattasi (September-October). Thiruvonam star days in the months of Aavani (August-September) & Purattasi (September-October) are celebrated grandly in the temple. In Purattasi Thiruvonam, rice nivedhana is arranged in the shape of seven hills with seven deepas, seven varieties of other preparations and vegetables and pujas performed very devotionally. On the Sravana (Thiruvonam) Nakshatram day every month, which is the birth star of Lord Srinivasa, the Swamiji offers his blessings to devotees through Deepa Dharisanam. It is said that Lord Oppiliappan appears in the form of a `Jothi’ in the fire pot carried by the Swamiji. A large number of devotees gather on that day to receive the “Arul Vaakku” from him. A Padayathra is conducted every year in the Purattasi month to Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor from Nungambakkam in Chennai.

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