Narayanavanam Sri Kalyana Veerabadra Swamy Temple – Andhra Pradesh

Address

Narayanavanam Bypass Rd,

Keelagaram, Chittoor district,

Andhra Pradesh 517581

Moolavar

Sri Kalyana Veerabadra Swamy

Amman

Badrakali

Introduction

Narayanavanam Sri Kalayana Veerabadra Swamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, Located in the Narayanavanam Village, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. Here the Presiding deity is called as Sri Kalyana Veerabahra Swamy and Mother is called as Badrakali. The temple is said to be more than 1500 years old.

Puranic Significance

Akasharajan ruling this region then was a staunch Lord Vishnu devotee. He was sad that he had no child. He began preparations for a Puthrakameshti Yajna to get a child. While curing the land to set the Yagasala, a box was found under the ground. The king found a female baby in the box covered by a lotus flower. As the child was found on the Alar (lotus), she was named Alarmel Mangai. Lotus is also called Padmam, hence the baby was also called Padmavathi. Mother Mahalakshmi came down to earth to find Sage Brugu angrily as he tried to hit on the chest of Her Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu also came down as Srinivasa searching for Mother. He was under the care of His devotee mother Vahuladevi. Lord Vishnu met Padmavathi in the king’s palace and decided to marry her. This marriage took place in Narayanavanam. King Akashrajan prayed to Lord Shiva and Ambica for security to celebrate his daughter Padmavathi’s marriage peacefully. Lord Shiva sent Veerabadra and Ambica sent Badrakali. The marriage went off with all gay and merriment. King Akashrajan made idols of Veerabadra and Badrakali in wedding form and built this temple. The temple is under the control of Tirupathi Devasthanam.

Daksha Samhara festival is celebrated in Tamil Aadi monthnJuly-August. The fire pit walking event (Pookuzhi) takes place on the fifth day. A plantain tree personified as Daksha is sacrificed then. After this event, next day to cool down the fury of Lord Veerabadra, people use to place betel leaves on the Tiruvasi (the frame around divine idols) and perform pujas. The wedding festival takes place the next day. On the last day of the festival, three varieties of nivedhanas with fruits are offered to Lord.

Beliefs

Devotees pray here for early marriages without delays intervening and for marital harmony. Devotees offer betel leaf garland and vastras to Lord and Mother.

Special Features

It is believed that praying to Lord Veerabadra will end the delays intervening in marriage proposals; hence He is praised as Wedding Custodian. 7 feet tall Lord Veerabadra graces from the sanctum sanctorum with Mother Badrakali facing south. Holy Ganga and crescent moon adore the crown of Lord. The temple has a flag post and Nandhi the bull vehicle of Lord Shiva. Though this is a Veerabadra temple, as the wedding of Perumal took place here, Theertha is offered as Prasad. People pray to Veerabadra with betel bangles. Sri Aiyappa in the temple is praised as Peria Andavar-Big Lord. There are also shrines for Lord Anugnai Vainayaka and Lord Kasi Viswanatha. The place where the wedding of Lord Srinivasa with Mother Padmavathi Thayar took place is nearby. Lord Kalyana Venkatesa Perumal Temple also is here.