108 Divya-deshams: Thirukkachi

BY: SUN STAFF

Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Thirukkachi

Feb 13, 2024 — CANADA (SUN) — A tour of the 108 Divya-desams, the divine abodes of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi.

Varadharaja Perumal Temple, also called Hastagiri and Attiyuran (Atthigiri), is located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Lord Visnu is worshipped here as Varadharajaswamy. This temple, along with Ekambareswarar Temple and Kamakshi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram, is popularly known as Mumurtivasam (abode of trio), while Srirangam is referred to as Koil (meaning temple) and Tirupati as Malai (hill).

Pillars in hall

Among the Divya Desams, Kanchipuram Varadharaja Perumal temple is known as Perumal Koil, and is one of the most sacred sites for Vaishnavas. A fourth in the group of Divya Deshams is Melukote, known as Thirunarayanapuram. Visiting all four places in close succession is said to place one in paramapadam.

Lord Vamanadev

Saraswati is said to have cursed Indra to become an elephant and roam around this place. He was relieved of the curse by Lord Vishnu, who appeared as the mount, Hastagiri (elephant). The disciples of the sage Gautama had been cursed by Saraswati to become lizards. They resided in the temple and were witness to this pastime, and were thus relieved of the curse by the divine grace of Vishnu. Indra installed silver and golden lizards in the temple. A panel depicting the two lizards is on the roof of the temple.

Lord Brahma also performed yagna here, the site of which was about to be washed away by the fast flowing river Vegavati (Saraswati in the form of river); it is known today as the Palar River. The temple deity, Vishnu laid himself flat to stay the river's flow and the yagna was successfully performed. Vishnu emerged with the brilliance of a thousand suns as Varadharajaswamy inside the Athi tree, and stayed here permanently until he was submerged in a nearby tank, perhaps due to fear of invasion by the Delhi Sultanate).

Temple tank

There is also stone deity found inside the temple, above the Narasimha shrine. The deity is called Devaraja Perumal, whose worship is equated to the Adi Athi Varadharaja Perumal, that is, two gods residing in one presiding idol.

As is the case with South Indian temples, the association with a sacred tree is the source of the name Attigiri, derived from the atti tree (fig).

The temple has around 350 inscriptions from various dynasties like Chola, Pandya, Kandavarayas, Cheras, Kakatiya, Sambuvaraya, Hoysala and Vijayanagara indicating various donations to the temple and also the political situation of Kanchipuram. Varadharaja Perumal Temple was renovated by the Cholas in 1053 CE and it was expanded during the reigns of the great Chola kings Kulottunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola. In the 14th Century another wall and a gopura was built by the later Chola kings.

Lighted gopuram

When a Mughul invasion was expected in 1688, the main image of the deity was sent to Udayarpalayam, now part of Tiruchirappalli district. It was brought back with greater difficulty after the involvement of a local preceptor who enlisted the services of general Todarmal. Robert Clive, the British general during the colonial period, visited the Garuda seva festival and presented a valuable necklace (now termed Clive Maharkandi), which is adorned during a special occasion every year.

Garuda Sevai

(To be continued...)

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