Adikesava Perumal temple, Mylapore

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Adi Kesava temple
Gateway tower of the temple
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictChennai
DeitySri Aadi Kesava Perumal
(Vishnu) Sri Mayuravalli Thayar
(Lakshmi)
Location
LocationMylapore
StateTamil Nadu
CountryIndia
Adikesava Perumal temple, Mylapore is located in Tamil Nadu
Adikesava Perumal temple, Mylapore
Location in Tamil Nadu
Geographic coordinates13°1′50″N 80°16′14″E / 13.03056°N 80.27056°E / 13.03056; 80.27056Coordinates: 13°1′50″N 80°16′14″E / 13.03056°N 80.27056°E / 13.03056; 80.27056
Architecture
TypeDravidian architecture

Adi Kesava Temple is dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu located in Mylapore, Chennai, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Sri Aadi Kesava Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Mayuravalli Thayar. The temple is believed to be the birthplace of Peyazhwar, one of the first three of the twelve azhwar saints of the 6th-9th century CE.

Chithra Kulam, the temple tank is believed to be of historic origin and one of the major rainwater storage facility in the region. The float festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Thai is a very prominent festival of the temple. The temple is open from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m and has six daily rituals at various times of the day. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Legend[]

Chittirai Kulam - the temple tank

As per Hindu legend, during the churning of the Ocean of milk, Vishnu instructed his consort Lakshmi to reach the hermitage of Sage Bhrigu. The sage was doing penance to attain a girl child and accepted the girl Lakshmi. the presiding deity, Adi Kesava is believed to have married goddess Bharghavi, the daughter of sage Bhrigu.[1]

The temple is believed to be the birthplace of Peyazhwar, one of the first three of the twelve azhwar saints of the 6th-9th century CE. The legendary Azhwar was believed to have come to earth from the 60 ft (18 m) well called Manikairavam inside the temple premises.[2] In modern times, the temple tank as a store house for rain water harvesting for the nearby areas.[3] The temple tank is believed to be 4,000 years old and was desilted for the first time in 2016. The float festival in the temple was celebrated from 2005 and 2016 and was not celebrated later due to dry tank due to clogging of the canals leading to the tank.[4]

The temple[]

Festival hall

The temple is built in Dravidian architecture occupies around 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) and has two precincts. It is located in Mylapore, in Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple has a rectangular plan surrounded by 10 ft (3.0 m) high walls, with a 5-tier gopuram, the gateway tower. The presiding deity is housed in the sanctum and is an image made of granite. The deity is seen in standing posture. The shrine of Garuda faces Adi Kesava, the eagle mount (Vahana) of Vishnu. The central shrine is approached through a worship hall and a narrow Ardha Mandapam. The flagpost ("Dhwaja sthambam") is located behind the shrine of Garuda. There are images of Azhwars in the worship hall on both sides and the shrine of Mayuravalli is located on the western side of the temple in the second precinct.[5] In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.[6]

Worship practices and festivals[]

Vimanam of the central shrine

The temple is open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: Ushathkalam at 8 a.m., Kalasanthi at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 7:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethyam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Sri Aadi Kesava Perumal and his consort Sri Mayuravalli Thayar. During the worship, religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.

The temple procession takes place during the ekadasi day, Tiruvonam, Full Moon ("PaurNami")/ New Moon ("amaavaasai") days, when the festival images ("uthsavar") of Adi Kesava, Sridevi and Bhudevi are taken in a procession. There are different processions taken by Mayuravalli Thaayaar on Fridays and Uthiram star, Aandaal on the Pooram star, Rama on Punarpoosam, and the Azhwars, on their birthdays. Brahmotsavam, the main festival of the temple is performed during the Tamil month of Panguni. During the ten-day festival, the twelve Azhwars and the twenty-one Vaishnava Aachaaryas are taken in procession along with Adi Kesava perumaaL. During the Tamil month of Aadi, float festival ("theppOthsavam") is conducted for five days.[1][7] The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Religious importance[]

The goddess Mayuravalli is worshipped with Bilva leaves, which is otherwise used only in Shiva temples. Shiva, Parvathi and Lakshmi in the form of Mayuravalli are believed to have worshipped Adi Kesava Perumal and got relieved off their curses. It is believed that Pey Alvar was taught by goddess Mayuravalli. Following the legend of the temple, the temple is frequented by devotees praying for their education and also for getting a good married life.[8] The temple and Kapaleeshwarar Temple are the oldest extant monuments in Mylapore.[9]

See also[]

Madhava Perumal Temple, Mylapore

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Sri Aaadi Kesavaperumal temple". Dinamalar. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  2. ^ Lalithasai (27 February 2011). "Float festival at Adi Kesava Temple". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Rainwater diverted to temple tanks in Chennai, roads dry". The Times of India. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Mylapore's Chitra Kulam gets desilted for the first time". The New Indian Express. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  5. ^ M., Rajagopalan (1993). 15 Vaishnava Temples of Tamil Nadu. Chennai, India: Govindaswamy Printers. pp. 57–65.
  6. ^ "Thirukoil - Temple list of Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. p. 244.
  7. ^ "Abounds in legends". The Hindu. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2015.[dead link]
  8. ^ "மயூரவல்லித் தாயாருக்கு வில்வத்தால் அர்ச்சனை!". Samayam (in Tamil). 9 June 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Mylapore, a UNESCO cultural heritage site". The Times of India. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2021.

External links[]

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