Sri Adikesava Perumal Temple – Thiruvattar
Sri Adikesava Perumal
Temple is located in Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu State.
It is one of the 108 divyadesam
of Lord Vishnu.
Here Lord Vishnu is
worshipped as Adikesava Perumal and his consort is Maragathavali Thayar.
It is surrounded by three
rivers namely Kothai, Pahrali, and Thamirabarani.
This temple is older than
the Anantha Padmanabha temple in Thiruvananthapuram.
This temple has been mentioned
in Padma Purana
This temple has a mix of
Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture.
The idol of the Lord
stands at 22 feet, bigger than Anantha Padmanabhaswamy.
The lord is lying on his
snake couch and has to be viewed through three doors. Adikesava Perumal's feet are
on the left and head on the right; it is the reverse in Anantha Padmanabhaswamy
Temple. A Shiva lingam is situated near Lord Adikesava Perumal inside the Sannidhi.
There are close to 50
inscriptions inside the temple in both Tamil and Sanskrit including those
relating to Kulothunga Chola I and his contribution to this temple. In addition
to the inscriptions, one also finds several stunning sculptures on the pillars
similar to the ones in Krishnapuram and Srivaikuntam. Another remarkable
feature is the Ottakkal mandapam outside the sanctum measuring 18 feet in width
and 3 feet in height that has been built on a single stone in the 12th Century
AD. Udaya Marthanda mandapam has exquisite wooden carvings; the highlight is
Lord Ganapathi's wedding procession. The corridors have 222 salabhanjikas and
are unique.
The Lord AdiKesavaSwamy
means 'Foremost Friend'. Legend says that Lord AdiKesavaSwamy defeated the
demon Kesi. The demon's wife prayed to the River Ganges and to River
Thamirabarani and created destruction. But it was in vain and she surrendered
to the Lord. Thus, the formation of the rivers made in a circle came to be
known as Thiruvattaru.
The sun's rays fall
directly on Lord Adikesava Perumal in March-April and September-October.
Vaikunta Ekadasi is
observed with great pomp. The delicious prasadams at this temple include Aval,
Appam, and Paal Payasam (Milk Kheer). The pujas are performed in the same
manner as in the Thiruvananthapuram Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple.
Timings
5.00 am to 12.00 pm
5.00 pm to 8.00 pm
How to reach the Temple
45 km from Kanyakumari
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