DevapPerumal [Sri Varada Rajar] Ekadasi purappadu ~ Thiru Kachi

22nd Jan 2013 was Ekadasi ~ had the fortune of having darshan of Lord DevapPerumal ~ Devathi Rajar, also known as Varadharajar at Thirukachi. For Sri Vaishnavaites, it is ‘Kovil~Thirumalai~Perumal Kovil’ – [referring to the Divyadesams of Thiruvarangam, Thirumala Thirupathi and Kanchipuram, respectively]

The area where Sri Varadharaja Perumal temple is located is now known as Vishnu Kanchi.  Kanchi has a rich history and was associated with the Pallava dynasty as the Pallava rulers ruled the Thondai mandalam for long.  Pallavas established their capital at Kanchi (modern day Kanchipuram famous for weaving and silk sarees) which gradually became popular and famous for its temples and as center of Vedic learning. There are so many Temples inside Kanchi and many of the Sri Vaishnava divyadesams are located in Kanchi.  The city famous for silk sarees and  is called as "City of 1000 Temples"; a famous Sanskrit poem ascribes it as ‘nagareshu kanchi’ – the best of the cities.

Mahabalipuram, now famous World over for its architecture was the famous port of Pallavas; the  name Mamallapuram is believed to have been given after the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, who took on the epithet Maha-malla (great wrestler), as the favourite sport of the Pallavas was wrestling.

Temple of Lord Varadharaja Perumal is known as Hastagiri.  The Temple is a huge one on a 23-acre (93,000 m2) complex and shows the architectural skills of ancient Vishwakarma Sthapathis in temple architecture and is famous for its holiness and ancient history. The temple has 3 outer precincts (prakaram) namely Azhwar Prakaram, Madai Palli Prakaram and Thiru Malai Prakaram. The main sanctum faces west and can be entered through a 130 feet tall, 7-tiered Rajagopuram.  The Moolavar is on a small hillock 10m tall and a fleet of 24 stps, termed "Hasthagiri" and has murals of the late Vijayanagara empire is found on the ceiling. The thayar’s name is Perundevi thayar. 

On the Ekadasi Day there was thiruveethi purappadu of Lord DevapPerumal. Andal’s Nachiyar Thirumozhi was rendered in the goshti.  Here are some photos taken on that day, during the purappadu and at temple

Adiyen Srinivasa dhasan.

 view of Temple and mandap near thirukkulam

 thiruvanthikkappu after purappadu