Arulmigu Sri Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple — Attraction in Tamil Nadu

THIRUPUTKUZHI – VIJAYARAGHAVA PERUMAL TEMPLE. – BALUCHETTY CHATHIRAM/KANCHIPURAM – TAMILNADU.

Jatayu belonged to the PUL family of the Vulture bird. He and his elder brother Sampathi were born to Aruna a demigod and were as strong as Garuda himself. Both the brothers in their enthusiasm tried to race towards the SUN God. In spite of the warning from Sampathi, Jatayu kept on flying, his feathers were getting singed by the heat of the sun. So much were they in love with each other that sampathi covered Jatayu with his own wings spanned and in turn burnt his feather’s and was grounded permanently,in order to protect Jatayu.

Jatayu, hearing the cries of Sita, went to her rescue, but was overpowered by Ravana the king of Lanka, who cut of his wings and threw him to the earth. Lord Ram coming in search of Sita saw Jatayu mortally wounded. Jatayu tells him that Sita was abducted by Ravana then collapses & dies. Jatayu is creamted with honours by Rama, who also performs his last rites.

Lord Mahavishnu’s presence in this Temple is as desired by Jatayu, in a sitting posture performing his last rites, with Jatayu on his lap. Being a noble bird from the PUL family, his ashes were buried in a pit (Kuzhi in Tamil) and hence the place came to be known as Thirupulkuzhi. Thiru (mark of respect like Shri ,in tamil) Pul ( family of Jatayu) Kuzhi (Pit) and later became Thiruputkuzhi. In this place is the temple of Mahavishnu known as Vijaya Raghava Perumal along with his consort Lakshmi known as Maragathavalli. The temple is about 7 KM’s from the town of Kanchipuram and half a KM from Balu chetti chathiram.

In the sanctum facing east is Lord Mahavishnu with his consorts Shridevi and Bhoodevi. The unique part of this temple is Goddess Shridevi is on the left side of Perumal, which is very rare. Her head is also tilted towards lord Vishnu, trying to avoid the heat from the funeral pyre of Jatayu. There is a separate sanctum in a separate Mandapam for Goddess Lakshmi as Maragathavalli, which again very unique is to the left of Lord Vishnu & the shrine of Andaal is on the right of the lord. As a mark of respect to jatayu the Dhwaja Sthambam or flag post and the Balipeetham are outside the temple compound. There is also a shrine dedicated to Jatayu outside the temple, next to the Jatayu teertham (Pond) created by lord Rama’s arrow sent into the earth to get water for ablutions to Jatayu.

Entering through a three-tiered Rajagopuram, one enters into a compound, which has a multi pillared Mukhamandapam on a raised platform with stairs both from the south and north. The mukhamandapam leads to a narrow Ardhamandapam, which in turn leads to the Garbhagriha where the lord Vijayaraghava sits in all his majesty with Jatayu on his thighs, with his consorts Shridevi and Bhoodevi interchanging their seating place. The vimana on top of the Garbhagriha is a Chaturanga Vimana or Square one known as Vijaya Koti vimanam.

Coming out of the Garbhgriha, on circumambulation towards the south western side of the compound is the place where the Vaishnavite Saint Shri Ramanujam’s guru Shri Yadavaprakash had lived and from whom Shri Ramanujam had received his education. There is a separate shrine for Shri Ramanujacharya. Making a full circle, one reaches the separate temple of Goddess Lakshmi as Maragathavalli. The elongated mandapam is also in a raised platform at the end of which is the Shrine of the goddess. The sculptures on the Pillars all around the temple are exquisite artwork.

The temple was renovated in the 13th century by Sundara Pandyan of the Pandya dynasty, and later came under the influence of the Vijayanagara Kingdom.

Temple timings : 7.00 AM to 12.00 Noon – 4.00...

Emperuman, Sriman Narayanan born to King Dasaratha as Sri Ramar, left all of his properties and went to the forest as told by his father. When they went to the forest, Seetha pirattiyaar asked for the deer, which was actually not the deer, but it was Maareeshan, sent by Ravana. Then, Ravana came to Seetha piratti and took her along with him to Lanka, On the way to Lanka, Jadayu, the Eagle bird stopped him and fought with Ravana to release Seetha. But, in the end, Jadayu's wings were cut by Ravana and fell down on the earth.

When Rama along with Lakshmana came there in search of Seetha Piratti, they found Jadayu fell down in the Land. Jadayu told that Ravana has took away Seetha along with him and on finally telling this, he died. Since, Lord Ramar gave the Sthanam (level) to Jadayu as his father, he did all the final ceremony to it and stayed there for a while.

As sugessted by Jadayu, the Perumal here gives his seva in the form in which he did the final funeral to Jadayu.

Jadayu belongs to Pul (a separate family of eagle ) family was burried in the pit (kuzhi) , this sthalam is called "Thiruppukkuzhi".

Ramayana which is one of the Great epic, explains to the world about caste interactions and human love to each other. It also seeds the brotherhood culture into all the hearts of human society.

Guhan, who is the hunter, Sukgreev, who is a Monkey man and Vibeeshanan, who is the person belong to Arakka (Demon) family were treated as his own brothers by Sri Ramar.

Like this same way, Sabari, who was a old lady, who offered him with food and Agalikai, who became a stone because of Sabham, came back as a women, when Sri Rama's feet was touched on that stone. Both were given the place of his mother. The Primary moral is that we can belong to any community (or) caste, but to attain God's grace, out aathma should be pure and if it is in that way, we can attain it.

Treating, Guhan, Sukgreev and Vibeeshan as his brother and Sabari and Agalikai as his mother, Sri Ramar keeps Jadayu in his father's stage and did all the final funeral. Since, he way away from his father's and he could do the final ceremony to him, he kept Jadayu in his fathers place and did all the final thing to him.

Eagle is the bird which lives by eating dead bodies and the tissues. By doing the final ceremony to that kind of bird, Sri Ramar's great character of loving and helping does not stop only towards human, but it is even extetnded to the animals is well explained to the world.

In this sthalam, the Moolavar is Vijaya Raghava perumal. He holds Jadayu in his hands. Both the Naachiyaars, are found on both the sides, but in opposite manner.

In this temple, ladies who doesnt have children, gives the dhal, (Paruppu) to Madapalli (place where the Lord's food is prepared). After its given, the dhal is soaked inside water and it is tied around their stomach and said to sleep. After waking up from their sleep, if the seed buds, it is confirmed that they will give birth to a child.

Special poojas are done on every Amavasai in a grand way.

Udayavar, Sri Ramanujar's Guru, Yadhava Pirakasar started to teach the vedanthams to his...

Thiruputkuzhi-Sri Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Maha Vishnu situated 15kms away from Kanchipuram. This is one of the Thondai Nadu Divya Desams closely related to the great epic Srimad Ramayanam. Here Lord Perumal appears as Sri Vijayaraghava Perumal, as the Moolavar in Amarntha Thirukkolam facing East direction. Thaayar here is named MaragathaValli, has her own temple. Thirumangai Alwar wrote 2 pasurams.

In Sri Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, ladies who doesnt have children, gives the dhal, (Paruppu) to Madapalli (place where the Lord’s food is prepared). After it’s given, the dhal is soaked inside water and it is tied around their stomach and said to sleep. After waking up from their sleep, if the seed buds, it is confirmed that they will give birth to a child.

In Sri Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple sthalam, the Moolavar is Vijaya Raghava perumal. He holds Jatayu in his hands. Both the Naachiyaars, are found on both the sides, but in opposite manner. Moolavar in found in sitting position facing East direction.  Prathyaksham for Jadaayu (Eagle) and Thaayar is Maragathavalli Thayaar. She has her own temple.

Sri Vijaya Raghava Perumal is seen in a sitting posture, having the bird (Jataayu) on his thigh. Not able to bear the smell caused by the final rites and because of the flames that arose out of the cremation of Jaatayu, Sri Devi Thaayar is said to have moved to the other side of the Lord. At this temple, the Goddess is seen to the left of the Lord Vijayaraghava with her head slightly turned in the Lord’s direction (in all Divya Desams, Sri Devi Thaayar is seen to the right of the Lord). Also, the Thaayar Sannidhi is to the left of the Lord. In all Divya Desams, the Thaayar Sannidhi is always to the right of the Lord.

Legend says that Sri Rama left all of his properties and went to the forest as ordered by his father. While in the forest, Sita spots a golden deer and requests Rama to catch it for her. The deer however is a demon sent by Ravana to lure Rama and Lakshmana, so that he could carry away Sita. With Rama and Lakshmana out in search of the deer, Ravana abducts Sita and takes her along with him to Lanka. On the way to Lanka, Jatayu the vulture stops Ravana and fights with him to release Sita, but Ravana cuts Jatayu’s wings and he falls down to the earth.

When Rama and Lakshmana come there in search of Sita, they find Jatayu mortally wounded in the forest. Jatayu tells them about Ravana and Sita, and then dies. Sri Rama then performs the last rites for Jatayu. As suggested by Jatayu, the Perumal here gives his seva in the form in which he performed the final funeral of Jatayu. For water needed for the rites, Lord Rama shot an arrow and created a spring, now called Jatayu Pushkarini. Tiru in Tamil is a honorific prefix, Pul means bird (a separate family of eagle) and Kuzhi the pit.  The place is thus named Tiru Pul...