Temples in Kanchipuram
Sri Varadaraja Temple
This is a major Vishnu temple built by the Vijayanagar kings in the 12th century. It is counted along with Tirupati and Sri Ranganatha (in Srirangam) as one of the major Vaishnava temples in South India. Varada means the bestower of benedictions, and raja means king. Thus, Varadaraja means the king of those who give benedictions. It is said that Brahma made a fire sacrifice to manifest Vishnu on an altar here. The present temple is said to reflect that same altar. The Deity is also called Devaraja Swami and Arulalar, which mean the source of all grace and one who bestows all boons. The Lord is also named Hastigirinatha, the Lord of Hastigiri (elephant hill). Other names of the Deity are Devaki Devarajan, Kari Varadan, Pranatar-tiharan, and Manicka Varadan.
Lord Varadaraja is standing facing west. He is large, and His four hands which hold a sankha (conch), cakra (disc), gada (club), and padma (lotus). He wears costly jewels. His consort is Sri Perundevi Thayar (Laksmi), who has her own temple to the right of the main temple. There is a beautiful garden inside the walls of the temple. Sri Perundevi Thayar goes every Friday to this garden and there is a festival there. There is a Lord Narasimhadeva Deity when you first enter the main temple area called Yoga Narasimha Swami.
This temple has a 30m (90 ft) high gopuram and a 96 pillar mandapa, with exquisite sculptures, that is one of the beauties of India. Mainly avatars of Vishnu and scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana are carved on the pillars.
Its main hall is supported by giant pillars, each carved from a different rock. There are also riders on horseback, beautiful figures of Rathi and Manmatha, and a massive chain carved out of a single stone.
The temple is on top of Hastigiri, or Elephant Hill, which is an elephant-shaped rock. It is said that Gajendra the elephant worshiped here in Treta-yuga. This hill is known as Hastigiri because the hastil (elephant) Gajendra, worshiped the Lord on this giri, or hill. The temple covers about 23 acres, which is one of the biggest areas covered by a temple in India. The temple's outer walls are 1200 by 1800 feet. Ananta-tirtham, the temple tank, is north of the 100 pillar mandapa hall. The temple ratha (cart) is 60 feet high and is a veritable temple on wheels. It is beautifully carved and very old.
The temple has an exquisite collection of temple jewelry that may be seen if you give a donation. One of the necklaces is said to have been given by Clive, the British Governor of the Madras Presidency. It is said that Clive came on the day of the Garuda-seva of Lord Varadaraja and that he presented his wife's necklace to the priest to adorn the Lord. The necklace is known as Clive Makarakandi and is used to decorate Lord Varadaraja on the Garudotsavam day.
The original Deity of Lord Varadaraja (Atti Varadar), who is said to have been installed by Lord Brahma himself, is in a silver casket inside the temple tank. The Deity is taken out every forty to fifty years for 45 to 48 days (some say 10 days). The last occasion was in 1979 and the next will be around 2019. The story is that Lord Brahma had Visvakarma, the architect of the demigods, make a wooden Deity of Lord Varadaraja. The utsavamurti is said to have emerged from Lord Brahma's sacrificial fire. The wooden Deity was known as Adi Hastigirinatha. It was felt that the wooden Deity would be ruined if constantly exposed and worshiped. Therefore the Deity was immersed in the temple tank, and a granite Deity was installed in its place.
Ramanujacarya used to regularly come to this temple in his youth. Sri Ramanuja is said to have met the great Vaishnava acarya Alavandar for the first time in the courtyard of this temple.
The main festival is the Brahmotsava festival, in May-June, which is attended by hundreds of thousands of people. During this festival the Deity is carried in procession. The main event is the Garudotsavam that draws thousands of devotees.
The main Deity is located up a flight of stairs in the back of the main temple and is a little hard to find. Non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple, which means not into the second court. ISKCON devotees and converted Hindus can enter, but are expected to wear traditional dress and tilaka. This temple is at the southeast end of the city, near the river, just off Thirukatchinambi Koli Road.
Sri Vaikuntha Perumal Temple
This Lord Vishnu temple was built in the late 8th century. It has three sanctums, one above the other, where Lord Vishnu is standing, sitting, and reclining. The goddess's name is Sri Vaikunthavalli Thayar.
This temple has a 20m-high tower, a pillar hall, and paintings on the walls. Its sculptures depict the wars fought between the Pallavas and the Chalukyas. The temple was built by Nandivarama Pallavamalla. The outer wall has lion pillars.
This temple is not very big. It is near the corner of East Raja Street and Kamakshi Amman Sannathi Street, in the center of the town by the railway station.
Sri Ulagalandar Temple
This temple is dedicated to Trivikrama (Vamana), who is called Sri Ulagalandar in this temple. The main Deity is called Ulagalanda Perumal (also called Peragathan or Peragam), the Lord who measured the world with His three steps. This Deity is nearly 35 feet in height. Trivikrama is another name for Lord Vamana, who begged from Bali Maharaja the amount of land that He could cover in three steps. The right foot of the Deity is in a lifted position, indicating that the Lord has already covered the earth and heaven. His left foot is pressed on the head of Bali Maharaja. A lamp, fixed to a big stick, is used to enable one to get a big stick, is used to enable one to get a full view of the Deity. The consort of Ulagalanda Perumal is called Amrithavalli Thayar.
This temple has four Divya Desams shrines in it-Peragathan (Sri Ulagalandar) and Ooragam (always referred together), Neeragham, Karagham, and Karvannam shrines. The shrine of Adi Sesa, called Ooragam, is next to Ulagalanda Perumal. Ooragam means snake. Adi Sesa is the divine snake used as a couch by the Lord. Peragathan (Trivikrama) and Ooragam (Adi Sesa) are together referred to as one Divya Desam shrine.
Behind a beautiful 16 pillars mandapa in the second prakaram is the shrine of Neeragathan, who is also called Jagadeeswara Perumal. It is said that the Lord gave darsana to Markandeya Muni here. Only the utsava (processional) Deity is now worshiped. This shrine is located on the north side of the temple.
In the third prakaram of the temple is the Divya Desam shrine of Karunakara Perumal. His consort is known as Padmamani Thayar.
The fourth Divya Desam shrine in the temple is Karvannam, who is also known as Navaneeta Chora. His consort is called Komalavalli Thayar.
There is an annual festival here in Jan/Feb.
Sri Vijaya Raghava Temple
This Divya Desam temple is seven km from Kanchipuram in the town of Thiruputkuli. The Lord is known here as Vijaya Raghava, which means literally "Rama the winner".
The goddess of the temple is known as Maragathavalli Thayar. In front of the temple is a bathing tank called jatayupushkarini. On a hill to the east of the tank is a temple dedicated to Jatayu. The Vaman Purana says that Jatayu, who was killed by Ravana, was cremated at Thiruputhuli.
Sri Ramanuja studied under Yadava Prakasa in Thiruputkuli. There is a mandapa here where Ramanujacarya studied the advaita philosophy from Yadhava Prakash, in order to master it so he could defeat it. Since Ramanuja kept refuting the advaita philosophy taught by Yadhava Prakash he was expelled from the ashram.
Sri Ashtabhujam Perumal Temple
Lord Vishnu has eight hands in this temple. Ashta means "eight" and bhuja means "hands". The four right arms of Lord Vishnu are holding a cakra (disc), sword, lotus flower, and arrow. The four left hands hold a conch, bow, shield, and club. It is said that goddess Saraswati let loose an army of demons to ruin the sacrifice performed by Brahma. These demons were all killed by Lord Vishnu. She then sent Sarabha, an unnatural type of ferocious beast with eight legs. To defeat this Lord Vishnu assumed this form with eight arms equipped with eight weapons.
It is also said that the crocodile caught hold of the leg of Gajendra the elephant in the temple tank here. When Gajendra cried out in despair to the Lord, Vishnu came and killed the crocodile with His cakra (disc).
The goddess is known as Puspakavalli Thayur. It is traditional here to worship the goddess first before worshiping the Lord.
There is also a Deity of Varahadeva, Lord Vishnu in His boar incarnation, in this temple.This is a Divya Desam temple. This is opposite the Yathoktakari Temple, about 1 1/2 km from the Varadaraja Temple.
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