Tirunerakam Sri Ulakalanta Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram

Address

Tirunerakam Sri Ulakalanta Perumal Temple, Kamatchi Amman Temple Street, Tirunerakam Kanchipuram

Diety

Jegatheesapperumal, Amman: Nilamangai Valli

Introduction

Ulagalandha Perumal Temple is a temple dedicated to Vishnu located in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th through 9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Ulagalantha Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Amudavalli. The temple is believed to have been built by Pallavas, with later contributions from Medieval Cholas, Vijayanagar kings and Madurai Nayaks. The temple is found in Big Kanchipuram, and situated close Kamakshi Amman Temple. The temple complex actually houses four Divya Desams in its different precincts, namely, Thirukkarvaanam, Thirukaaragam, Thiruneeragam, and Thiruooragam, that last of which is present with in the sanctum sanctorum of the main temple.

Puranic Significance

Bhagavata Purana describes that Vishnu descended as the Vamana avatar to restore the authority of Indra over the heavens, as it had been taken by Mahabali, a benevolent Asura King. Bali was the grandson of Prahlada. King Mahabali was generous, and engaged in severe austerities and penance and won the praise of the world. With the praise from his courtiers and others, he regarded himself as the all powerful in the world. Vamana, in the guise of a short Brahmin carrying a wooden umbrella, went to the king to request three paces of land. Mahabali consented, against the warning of his guru, Sukracharya. Vamana then revealed his identity and enlarged to gigantic proportions to stride over the three worlds. He stepped from heaven to earth with the first step, from earth to the netherworld with the second. King Mahabali, unable to fulfill his promise, offered his head for the third. Vamana then placed his foot and gave the king immortality for his humility. In worshiping Mahabali and his ancestor Prahláda, he conceded sovereignty of Pátála, the netherworld. Some texts also report that Vamana did not step into the netherworld, and instead gave its rule to Bali. In giant form, Vamana is known as Trivikrama. The legend is associated with the Thrikkakara Temple in Kerala and also with this temple and Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, Tirukoyilur.

Beliefs

The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Thirumangai Azhwar in one hymn of Thirunedunthandagam. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book.[18] The temple is unique among Divya desams as it is the only temple complex that houses four different Divyadesams…..PRAYER: Arrogance is worshiped by you. After completing the prayers, they get married to Perumal here and worship in new clothes.

Special Features

The temple has an area of about 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) and has a three tiered rajagopuram (main towers) with seven kalasas. The temple houses four divya desams on its own – they are Thirukkarvaanam, Thirukaaragam, Thiruooragam and Thiruneeragam.It is believed that all the shrines were probably separate temples, but the circumstances which lead do these temples getting housed in the Ulagalantha Perumal temple is not known.Thirumangai Azhwar has sung praises of all the four temples in a single verse. The temple tank, Naga Tirtha, is located outside the main temple complex.The temple is revered by the verses of Tirumangai Alvar and Thirumazhisai Aazhwar. Thaayar of the temple is Amudhavalli (Amirthavalli) and the festival deity of the temple is Loganathan. The image of Ulagalantha Perumal is over 35 ft (11 m) in height depicted with his left leg at a right angle to the body and parallel to the ground. The right leg is seen placed on the head of Mahabali with two fingers on his left hand stretched out referring to the two steps he took to measure the two worlds and the stretched finger on his right hand indicating the question the posted to Mahabali as to where he could place his third step. The roof of the sanctum, the vimana has an elevated roof to accommodate the huge image of the presiding deity.