Pandava Thoothar Perumal Temple,Darshan Information

Pandava Thoothar Perumal Temple

26 Jan

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In the land of thousand temples, Kanchipuram, stand the ancient temple Pandavathootha Perumal Temple or Thirupadagam dedicated to Lord Krishna. Here, the Lord Krishna is worshipped as Pandava Thoothar Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Rukmini. Believed tohave been built by the Pallavas of the late 8th century AD, with later contributions from Medieval Cholas and Vijayanagar kings, the temple is considered as one of the three oldest temples in Kanchipuram. It is one of the 108 divyadesam dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Location TamilNadu, Kanchipuram, Chennai

Legend

Many years after the Kurukshetra war, King Janamejaya, the great-grand son of Arjuna, went to Sage Vaisampayana to hear the story of his ancestors. Sage Vaisampayana told him the story of how Lord Krishna on his mission to avoid the war had gone to Duryodhana as an envoy of Pandavas. On being humiliated, Krishna revealed his celestial form, the Vishwaroopa to the blind Dritharashtira, father of the wicked Duryodhana and warned him of the consequences. After hearing the story, Janamejaya keen on having the darshan of the Lord in his celestial form performed severe penance at this place. Pleased with his devotion, the Lord rewarded him with his darshan.

This temple is part of Kanchipuram Divya Desam Yatra.

Architecture

The temple is built in Dravidian architectural style. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all the shrines and two bodies of water. The temple has a four-tiered rajagopuram. The central shrine of the temple has a 25ft idol of the presiding deity Pandava Thoothar. Seated in Arda Padmasana posture the Lord is seen with his right leg bent to the basement. The shrine of Rukmini is located to the south of the main shrine. The temple tank, Matsya Theertham is located on the north-eastern side of the temple.

Culture

Kanchipuram, in the state of Tamil Nadu is one of the important religious places in India and a holy pilgrimage site for both Saivites and Vaishnavites. Historically, it was a centre for education and popular for the architectural beauty of its temples. Silk saree weaving is a major industry and Kanchipuram pattu(silk) is famous all around the country.

Picture courtesy: www.yatrastotemples.com