ULAGALANDHA PERUMAL KOVIL - KANCHIPURAM
4 DIVYA DESAMS IN 1 TEMPLE (THIRUOORAGAM, THIRUNEERAGAM, THIRUKARAGAM, THIRUKAARVAANAM)
A Tamilnadu tour for anyone across the globe, be it an NRI or a first-time foreign traveller or our very own natives who might have made multiple visits, will definitely have the famous Kanchipuram on the list. As much as the love for Kanjeevaram silk sarees across the world is a well-known fact that attracts one to visit this famous town Kanchipuram (a place filled with “Kanchi flowers”), so is the attraction for the numerous temples here. Kanchipuram, also called “the city of thousand temples” is a beautiful congregation of Vaishnavite, Shaivite and Shakthi or Ambal Kovils. Among the long list of Temples we should visit in Kanchipuram, here we are in the oldest temple of the town, ULAGALANDHA PERUMAL TEMPLE.
This divine sthalam is filled with surprises upon surprises right from the appearance of the moolavar to the number of Divya Desams present here apart from the beautiful sculptures and the 16-pillared mantapa in the prakaarams.
ULAGALANDHA PERUMAL (THIRUPERAGATHAN)
LOCATION
ULAGALANDHA PERUMAL KOVIL is located in Periya (Big) Kanchipuram, and situated close to Kanchi Kamakshi Amman temple. The temple complex houses four Shri Vaishnava Divya Desams in its prakarams, namely, THIRUOORAGAM (50th Divya Desam), THIRUNEERAGAM (47th Divya Desam), THIRUKAARAGAM (52nd Divya Desam), THIRUKAARVAANAM (53rd Divya Desam).
DEITIES IN THE TEMPLE
Moolavar or the Main Deity:
ULAGALANDHA PERUMAL (The one who measured the universe) with his consort AMUTHAVALLI THAAYAR
Lord Vishnu stands here as a colossal 35 ft Thrivikrama, the Ulagalandha Perumal who measured the universe with three steps- the giant form of Vamana, one of the 10 primary avatars of Lord Vishnu. The Lord has two fingers of the left hand pointing upwards perhaps conveying the meaning that the lord had already covered the Earth and Heaven in two steps. On the right hand, the stretched finger indicates the question the Lord posed to Mahabali as to where he should place the third step which was promised by him. The left foot is lifted at a right angle indicating that the lord had already measured Earth and Heaven. The right foot is seen pressing on the head of Mahabali. The sanctum’s vimana has an elevated roof to accommodate the huge image of the presiding deity. Ulagalandha Perumal Sannadhi is also called as THIRUPERAGAM.
OTHER DEITIES IN THE TEMPLE:
AADHISESHAN SANNIDHI (THIRUOORAGAM)
JAGADEESHWARA PERUMAL SANNIDHI (THIRUNEERAGAM)
KARUNAKARA PERUMAL SANNIDHI(THIRUKAARAGAM)
NAVANEETHA CHORA PERUMAL or KALVAR SANNIDHI(THIRUKAARVAANAM)
AMUTHAVALLI NAACHIYAAR (DEVI LAKSHMI) SANNIDHI
ANDAL SANNIDHI
GARUDAR SANNIDHI
STHALAPURANAM:
This Divya Desam relates to Bhagavatha Purana. The deity represents Lord Vishnu who came to Earth incarnating as Vamana (the 5th Avatara among the Dashavatharas), the dwarf who later grew to a giant form, Trivikrama, to establish dharma and restore balance.
In Treta Yuga, there lived a good King, Mahabali, the grandson of Prahalada, the great Vishnu Bhaktha. Mahabali, who was also a Vishnu bhaktha, was generous, and engaged in severe austerities, winning the praise of the world.
With the praise from his courtiers and others, he regarded himself as the most powerful being in the world. His arrogance grew and he decided to conquer Swarga Loka. Afraid of the powers of Mahabali, Lord Indra abandoned heaven and Mahabali acquired possession over the heavens. Lord Indra went to his mother Aditi for help, and she rushed to Lord Vishnu to restore Swarga to her son.
Vishnu incarnated as a son of Aditi in the form of Vamana or dwarf. In all his previous Avataras, the Lord had killed the rakshasas who had created havoc, but as Mahabali was a great follower of dharma, Vishnu did not wish to kill him in a direct combat. So, the Lord came as Vamana, a short Brahmin, carrying a wooden umbrella and went to Mahabali asking for 3 steps of land as daana.
In spite of Mahabali’s guru Shukracharya’s warning, he agreed to give the daana. Instantly, Lord Vishnu transformed himself from the small Vamana roopa to the gigantic Trivikrama roopa. He stepped from heaven to earth with the first step, taking that as his first step of daana. His second step of daana was covered from earth to Paathalaloka and then the giant Trivikrama asked Mahabali where he should now set his foot for the third step of daana.
The devout Mahabali offered his head for the third. Vamana then placed his foot upon the now humbled king, banishing him to the Pathalaloka. Lord Vishnu restored Swargaloka to Indra and also blessed Mahabali.
THIRUOORAGAM:
As Lord Vishnu placed one foot on Mahabali’s head and pressed him down to the Pathala, Mahabali could not see the Vishwaroopa or the gigantic form of the Lord Ulagalandha Perumal. He prayed to the Lord to manifest himself in a smaller form. It is said that Perumal took the form of Aadhisesha for his bhaktha to see him. There is a smaller shrine in the prakaram where we can see the Lord in the form of AADHISESHA. This Sannadhi is known as THIRUOORAGAM. Ooragam Means Snake. Alwars have sung in praise of Peragathaan (Ulagalandha Perumal) and Ooragathaan (AadhiSeshan) always together.
The shrine is frequented by childless couples praying for offspring.
AADHISESHAN (THIRUOORAGATHAN)
THIRUNEERAGAM:
This Sannidhi is located in the second Prakaram of the temple.The Deity here is Lord JAGADHEESHWARA PERUMAL with his consort NILAMANGAI NACHIAR. The Lord is seen with four arms in a standing posture. There is no moolavar in this Sannadhi. The utsavar is the deity here. Perhaps, the utsavar was brought here from elsewhere? We do not know. We have no authentic information as to why there is no Moolavar, either.
As per Pillai Perumal Iyengar (also known as Azhagiya Manavala Dasar or Divya Kavi) a 17th Century Poet, in his Nurrettru Thiruppathi Andadhi, Lord Jagadeesvara Perumal is said to have given darshan to Markandeya maharishi. Markandeya maharishi did penance on the bank of Bhadra river and wanted to see the sight of Pralaya, the end of the world. The Lord, with his maya, recreated the Pralaya scene with himself as a small child sitting in the midst of that Pralaya on a banyan leaf. Hence this Sthalam is called THIRUNEERAGAM (in Tamil, “Neer” means water).
THIRUKAARAGAM:
This Sannidhi is located in the third Prakaram of the temple. The Deity here is Lord KARUNAKARA PERUMAL with his consort PADMAMANI NACHIAR. The Lord is seen in a sitting posture on Aadhisesha. This deity also seems to have been relocated here from some other place and the original location is not known. As per the legend, sage Garga performed his penance here and obtained knowledge. The place thus derived its name Gargaham, which later became Kaaragam. Hence this Sthalam is called THIRUKAARAGAM.
THIRUKARVAANAM:
This Sannidhi is located in the second Prakaram of the temple. The Deity here is called KALVAR or NAVANEETHA CHORA PERUMAL with his consort KAMALAVALLI THAYAAR. This deity too may have been relocated here from a different location. The Lord here is seen in a standing posture. “Kaar Vaanam” in Tamil means dark rain bearing clouds. Just like the rain bearing clouds give rain without any judgement upon place, people or any living being, the Lord here is considered to bless all the beings in this world. Hence the name THIRUKAARVAANAM.
HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE:
The temple is believed to have been built by the Pallavas, with later contributions from the Cholas, Vijayanagara Kings and the Nayaka Kings. It is constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture. According to the historian Nagaswamy, based on the inscriptions and the location of the temple, it is the oldest temple in Kanchipuram. The earliest inscription is from 846 CE during the regime of Nandivarman III (846–869 CE).
The temple has an area of about 60,000 square feet and has a three-tiered Rajagopuram (main towers) with seven kalasas. The 4 Divya Desams in the temple are believed to have probably been separate temples at some point in the past. But the circumstances which led to these deities getting housed in the Ulagalantha Perumal temple are unknown.
AZHWAR PAASURAM:
Thirumangai Azhwar has sung 4 and Thirumazhisai Azhwar has sung 2, a total of 6 Paasurams in this Sthalam in praise of the Lord. The beauty and speciality of the below paasuram sung by Thirumangai Azhwar is that he has mentioned all the four Divya Desams of this Sthalam in a single Paasuram.
நீரகத்தாய் நெடுவரையினுச்சி மேலாய்
நிலாத்திங்கள் துண்டத்தாய் நிறைந்த கச்சி
ஊரகத்தாய் ஒண்துரை நீர் வெஃகாவுள்ளாய்
உள்ளுவா ருள்ளத்தாய் உலகமேத்தும்
காரகத்தாய் கார்வானத்துள்ளாய் கள்வா
காமருபூங் காவிரியின் தென்பால் மன்னு
பேரகத்தாய் பேராதென் நெஞ்சினுள்ளாய்
பெருமானுன் திருவடியே பேணினேனே
ADDRESS:
Ulagalantha Perumal Temple,
Kanchipuram -631 501,
Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu.