Varadharaja Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple that is built to place the deity of Vishnu. It is situated in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India, and it is one of the oldest and most significant Vishnu temples that has been visited by 12 Alawars, the poet-saints.

The temple holds significance also because of Ramanuja, who is believed to have resided in the temple. The Vaishnava philosopher was once tricked to be killed but was saved by the grace of Lord Vishnu.

Architecture

The overall temple covers an area of around 23 acres, and the architecture dates back to Vishwakarma Sthapathis. It consists of three outer precincts, 32 shrines, 19 Vimanams, and some holy tank as well.

The main entrance is 130 feet tall, which is known as Rajagopuram that takes to the prime shrine facing West. The craftmanship of the idol is performed in such a way that on the 15th day after Chitra Purnima, the sun rays fall on the deity. The Rajagopuram being the tallest one, the eastern gopuram, and western gopuram come second.

The main hall includes 100 pillars having the sculptures of Ramayana and Mahabaratha, which dates back to the Vijayanagara architecture. Another notable part of the architecture is the gold-plated lizards that devotees pray to and gain relief in case a real lizard falls on their body. There is a temple car which is believed to be donated by Krishnadeva Raya in 1517 CE.

One of the interesting parts of the architecture is the wooden image of Varadarajaswamy. This image is made of a fig tree that remains immersed in water in a chamber that is not accessible to everyone. This chamber opens up once in 40 years to take out the idol and celebrate the festivity that goes on for 48 days.

The image is then shifted to the chamber again and immersed in water for another 40 years.

Legend

There are several legends related to the build of the temple. One such legend depicts Lord Brahma when he conducted a Yajna without Mata Saraswati and invited his other two consorts Gayatri and Savitri. This made the Goddess Saraswati fuming that she flew as the River Vegavati to destroy the Yagya of Brahma.

However, on the request of Brahma, Lord Vishnu came forward to save the Yagya from putting out. Lord Perumal then came in a reclining posture to stop the wave of the river. This saved the Yagya of Brahma, and the idol of Vishnu established himself there permanently.

There is a shrine of Narasimha as well that resides on the hillock. This shrine is considered to have mysterious powers.

Another legend states that once Indra was cursed by Goddess Saraswathi. He then became an elephant and roamed around the place. The curse was then lifted off by Lord Vishnu in the form of Hastagiri, which looks like a mount in the form of an elephant.

This Hastagiri was also known as the Varadaraja temple. Indra then installed the silver and golden lizards who were considered as the witness of the suffering, and the same lizards can be seen in the temple.

Festivals Celebrated

The temple is known to celebrate all festivities associated with Lord Vishnu. The 10-day Vaikasi Brahmmotsavam, Purattasi Navarathri, and https://www.astroved.com/astropedia/en/festivals/vaikunta-ekadasi are some major festivals that take place with utmost magnificence. During these celebrations, the temple draws a huge crowd of devotees from all parts of South India.

On normal days, the temple remains open from 6.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

By witnessing the divine appearance and praying to Perumal,devotees get blessed with wisdom. The sanctification of the Lord helps them with all the decisions of life, which then removes all the obstacles and leads them to the way of prosperity. People who face any troubles in life, such as a court case or struggle with gaining mental peace get benefitted by taking a glance at Lord here.

This is also a popular place for women who are seeking for a child. Women who pray to Mother Perundevi Thayar become a mother with the grace of Goddess.

There are many other temples in South India; each of these temples has its legend and significance. Explore more about these places and augment some new travels to your routine.