Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kancheepuram







VARADARAJA PERUMALTEMPLE, KANCHI

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Had the opportunity to visit this Temple recently. This is one of the biggest  Chola era temple built around 1050 AD in the  temple city of Kancheepuram.  It was later expanded by Kulottunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola. The  moolavar here is next in height to Lord  Venkateshwara of Tirupathi. The temple has a 100 pillared hall of Vijayanagar era with exquisite  carvings and stone  rings. The  moolavar faces West  and the Eastern  Gopuram is taller than the  western  Rajagopuram.  The temple is spread over 23 acres and has 32 shrines. 


       In the year 1688 the Temple idol was shifted to Udayarpalayam in Tiruchirapalli district due to Moghul attacks and the idol was shifted back after normalcy returned. In the year 1532 Achuta Raya the  Vijayanagar King was accused of unequal distribution of land between Ekambaranathar and Varadaraja Perumal Temple.  Achuta raya found that Vira Narasimha SaluvaNayak had made this uneven distribution  against instructions and immediately corrected it by doing equal distribution. The inscription dating back to 1532 mentions the same in the temple.


     Robert Clive  visited the  temple  during  Garuda Sevai and donated  a necklace Makara Kandi   which  is adorned to the  Lord  on special occasions .  The then District Collector Of Chengalpattu Lionel Place was a devotee of Varadaraja and donated many jewels to the deity. It is slso known for Athi Varadar which is kept submerged in Temple  tank and opened once in 40 years for darshan of devoties.  The  Thathacharyas are the hereditary  custodians of the  temple and receive temple honours. Devotees of Lord Vishnu from all over the world visit this temple in Vishnu  Kanchi it being one of 108 Divya desams.

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