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| Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar | |
|---|---|
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Kanyakumari |
| Deity | |
| Festivals | Vaikuntha Ekadashi,Krishna Janmashtami |
| Location | |
| Location | Thiruvattar |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
  | |
| Coordinates | 8°19′47″N77°15′57″E / 8.32972°N 77.26583°E /8.32972; 77.26583 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian architectureKerala Style |
| Temple | One |
TheAdikesava Perumal Temple is aPerumal temple located inThiruvattar,Kanyakumari district,Tamil Nadu,India and is one of the 108Divya desams, the holy sites of HinduVaishnavism in existingTamil hymns from the seventh and eighth centuries C.E. The temple is one of the historic thirteen Divya Desams of Malai Nadu. The temple is a picturesque setting surrounded on three sides by rivers namely, (RiverKothai, RiverPahrali and RiverThamirabarani) It was the Rajya Temple and Bharadevatha shrine of ErstwhileTravancore. After state reorganisation, the temple was handed over to Tamil Nadu H&RCE Dept. Since Vishnu resides here in a reclining position, and is surrounded by rivers, the temple is called as "TheSrirangam of Chera Kingdom".
The temple was consecrated byParasurama and is admired byVeda vyasa in the sections which deal with temples inPadma Purana. As per the stone inscriptions which dates back to 779KE the temple is established in theTreta yuga. The Adikesava temple is also whereChaitanya Mahaprabhu, founder of theGaudiya Vaishnava movement, discovered the lost manuscript of theBrahma Samhita.[citation needed]
The temple architecture is a fusion ofDravidian andKerala styles of architecture, with wooden pillars, doors and roofs. The Temple is surrounded by a thirty-feet-high fort wall. The outer corridor stand on 224 stone pillars. The adjacent forward facing mandapams includes sculptures and art works which depicts events fromRamayana. It also portrays Gods and Goddesses fromHindu mythology includingShiva,Parvati andSri Krishna etc. The Lord is lying on His snake couch and has to be viewed through three doors. We could see Lord Shiva near Lord Adikesava Perumal inside the sannidhi.Deepalakshmis are many but none resembles the other. The Otraikkal Mandapam (single stone hall), made of a single stone 3 feet thick, is a marvel. Oorthuva Thandavam, Venugopala, Rathi, Manmatha, Lakshmana and Indrajit are all excellently carved. The temple is also renowned for its murals.
The composite columns ofVirabhadra, holding a sword and a horn, are found be additions by theVijayanagara kings in the early 1500s. Similar columns of Virabhadra are found inMeenakshi Temple atMadurai,Nellaiappar Temple atTirunelveli,Kasi Viswanathar temple atTenkasi,Krishnapuram Venkatachalapathy temple,Ramanathaswamy Temple atRameswaram,Soundararajaperumal temple atThadikombu,Srivilliputhur Andal temple,Srivaikuntanathan Perumal temple atSrivaikuntam,Avudayarkovil,Vaishnava Nambi and Thirukurungudivalli Nachiar temple atThirukkurungudi.[1]
The temple complex includes aAyyappan temple behind which stands theKsetra bala Balikkal. It also includesSree Bali Prakaram and theYanaikottil. Other deities being located in the south-western corner, the flagmast is located at the west at theSree Balippura. As per the stone inscriptions in the pedestal of the flag mast it was renovated by SreeMoolam Thirunal Rama Varma VI in 1071KE. The granite entrance of theChitra Sabha includes sculptures of the Dwara Palakas known as Jaya and Vijaya. Sculptures of Lakshmana and Pathanjali Tandava carved to the left of Sabha Mandapam while that ofIndrajith andMuralidhara andKalabairava are carved to the right. The image of the chief deity in his sayana posture is sculpted on the wooden entrance door.Vatteluttu inscriptions ofShilpa Shastra are found in adjacent walls. It also includes details about the 11th century Chola KingRajendra Chola.
Sculptures ofRati andManmadan are found opposite Udaya Marthanda Mandapam. The epic scenesVinayaka Kalyanam,Bharata War and deitiesVaruna,Niriyati,Yama,Kubera,Indra,Agni,Brahma andMonks in penance are sculpted in a row above the Mandapam. A variety of mural painting are found along the walls of the inner prakarams. A secret passage leading to the Palace is found beneath the west of the inner prakarams which is covered with a large stone slab.
Going by extant legends, the temple is closely associated with the famousSree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram. Thiruvananthapuram Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple deity lies in the direction as to see the Thiruvattar Adi kesava deity. The main deity was originally covered with gold kavachams in which diamonds and other precious stones were embedded which the Kerala kings had presented to the temple. There is also a small shrine for Lord Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy near the river and opposite to the Adikesava Perumal Temple.Alvar saintNammalvar had sung 11 pasurams in praise ofAdi Kesava Swamy in the 6thThiruvai mozhi. There are Three temples related to Adikesava Perumal Temple.
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The entire present day Kanyakumari District formed part of erstwhileTravancore Kingdom. Up to Marthanda Varma, all kings ruled the erstwhile Venad Kingdom (which was expanded by Marthanda Varma to form Thiruvithaamkoor) from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari District. It was Dharma Raja, the nephew and successor of Marthanda Varma, who shifted the capital to Thiruvananthapuram. Padmanabhapuram Palace, the erstwhile royal abode of Travancore Kings, is still preserved in all its glory and is situated atPadmanabhapuram inKalkulam Taluk ofKanyakumari District. Marthanda Varma was a staunch devotee of Lord Adikesava and used to worship at the temple before all the major war campaigns undertaken by him.
The presiding Deities ofThiruvananthapuram andThiruvattar had a deep connection which reflects in the quantitative measurement of commodities utilised etc. The Perumals of Thiruvattar and Thiruvananthapuram remain closely bound to each other with this closeness being mirrored not only in festivals which coincide, special days, and many rituals, but also in their structural patterns, including the Ottakkal Mandapam. In both cases the Moola Vigrahas are ofKatu-Sarkara and are containing Salagramas. The strong affiliation of theVenad kings to both Thiruvattar and Thiruvananthapuram temples in their privileges and responsibilities provide ample evidence of enduring interconnections.
The Lord AdiKesavaSwamy means 'Foremost Friend'. Legend says that Lord AdiKesavaSwamy defeated the demon Kesi. The demon's wife prayed to the RiverGanges and to RiverThamirabarani and created a 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.[2]
On 10 June 1741, Anizham TirunalMarthanda Varma, the then ruler of Travancore, before going for theBattle of Colachel offered 908panams,yataghan and silk on the feet of Lord Adikesava and prayed for victory.
Vaikunta Ekadesi is celebrated with pomp and glory. Paal Payasam (Milk Kheer), Aval and Appam are delicious prasadams at this temple. The pujas are done in the same manner as that of theSri Padmanabhaswamy temple,Thiruvananthapuram.
