kNOWLEDGE OF TRIVIKRAMA ALL OVER INDIA
Trivikrama (त्रिविक्रम).—Another name for Vāmana.
Trivikrama (त्रिविक्रम).—An avatār of Viṣṇu who conquered the three worlds
with three steps; the lustrous God with sword as weapon;1 Mahātmyam of; in
the vāmana purāṇa; icon of;2 Brahma-Puruṣottama.3
Trivikrama (त्रिविक्रम, “He who pervades the 3 Vedas”):—One of the
twenty-four forms of Viṣṇu through which Nārāyaṇa manifests himself. He is
accompanied by a counterpart emanation of Lakṣmī (an aspect of Devī) who
goes by the name Kriyā.
Trivikrama (त्रिविक्रम) refers to one of the various Vibhava manifestations
according to the Īśvarasaṃhitā 24.316b-319.—Accordingly, “Bhagavān who is
Ananta and who is present in the waking and other state, controls those who
have the brilliance of the sun, moon and fire, stays with the glory of
sentience of the fourth stage (transcendental). He prompts out of His own
liking, the power which has the brilliance (like) nectar arising from His
feet and which causes delight to those who do their work and are devoted to
Him, who fill the three worlds, is of a yellowish complexion, shining
(having) groups of arms possessing various mudrās and weapons, who destroys
enemies bearing ākaśagaṅgā with the stiff foot reaching the sky and a flag
for (the sake of) Gods who requested for victory, sword, discus, mace,
club, arrows, goad (with) and hammer, lance, axe, and a fire slab in His
ten dexter hands and conch, javelin, bow (called Śārṅga), snare, trident,
plant, thunderbolt, knife plough, big pestle in the left hands are to be
meditated upon. Other ten hands with mudrās are marked by (conveying) the
fear wonder taking mud, and seizing (a person) by the (braid of) hair and
clasping are the five mudrās of the Lord to be meditated upon in the five
(left) hands and those offering the boon with the name prosperity, bringing
things together, offering security and preservation of the same number in
the right hands”.
These Vibhavas (e.g., Trivikrama) represent the third of the five-fold
manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness the Pāñcarātrins believe in.
Note: The name Trivikrama is given to Vāmana who grew up and took three
strides (krama). Parāśarabhaṭṭa Viṣṇusahasranāma vyākhyā on Name 533. gives
a different interpreation by quoting a passage the source of which is not
known. This means that Viṣṇu had passed through all the three Vedas or had
gone beyond them. The root kram means to walk over, cross over. The word
Vikrama cannot therefore mean studying the three Vedas but has gone beyond
them, prominent in them.
Trivikrama (त्रिविक्रम) refers to one of the many varieties of the
Śālagrāma (ammonite fossil stones).—The Trivikrama is black in colour
(śyāma); two cakras on the left side (vāma-cakra) and two cakras on the
right (dakṣa-cakra); line suggesting vanamālā; according to another
account, a cakra on the left side and line on the right (dakṣa-rekhā);
rightward inclination (dakṣiṇāvarta). Śālagrāma stones are very ancient
geological specimens, rendered rounded and smooth by water-currents in a
great length of time. They (e.g., Trivikrama stones) are distinguished by
the ammonite (śālā, described as “vajra-kīṭa”, “adamantine worms”) which
having entered into them for residence, are fossilized in course of time,
leaving discus-like marks inside the stone.
Trivikrama (त्रिविक्रम) is also found as a sculpture on the ninth pillar of
the southern half of the maṇḍapa of the temple of Trailokyeśvara.—At the
lower portion of the pillar is sculptured Viṣṇu, Trivikrama. The God asking
Bali to donate him three feet of land is the theme of this image. Viṣṇu is
standing with one foot on the earth and the other in the sky. To the right
is the chain of human figures, carved one below the other. At the bottom of
the tableau is an unfinished image, probably of Garuḍa. The swings and
sways of this figure of Viṣṇu Trivikrama remind us the dancing figure of
Śiva on the pillar nearby. We think probably the same artist must have
carved this representation too.
Trivikrama (त्रिविक्रम) refers to one of the Dvādaśa-mūrti or “twelve
sacred names of Viṣṇu”, whose iconographical details are mentioned in the
Śrītattvanidhi (verse 2.19-42) citing the
Pāñcarātrāgama-Kriyapāda.—Trivikrama’s colour is red and fitted with
kirīṭa, hāra, keyūra, kuṇḍalas and other ornaments. According to the
Caturviṃśatimūrtilakṣaṇa, Trivikrama is fitted with the Śaṅkha, Cakra, Gāda
and Padma, in that particular order.
Trivikrama (fl. 1137 A.D.) is mentioned in the “Vaḍavalī grant of
Aparāditya I”. Accordingly, “... by pouring water with great devotion, to
the sacrificing priest Trivikrama, the son of the Agnihotrin Ananta of
the Vārṣeyagaṇa-gotra
and the Vāji-Mādhyandina-śākhā, who is a distinguished Brāhmaṇa engaged in
the performance of the six duties such as sacrificing for oneself and
others, studying and teaching (of the sacred texts) and so forth”.
These copper plates (mentioning Trivikrama) were in the possession of a
blacksmith at Vaḍavalī near Ṭhāṇā. Its object is to record the grant, by
Aparāditya, of the village Vaḍavalī in the Karakūṭa-viṣaya and also of a
field in the village Mora in the Vareṭikā-viṣaya. It is dated on the
fifteenth tithi of the bright fortnight of Kārttika in the Śaka year 1049,
the cyclic year being Plavaṅga.
Vamana in Literature and Art
VAMANA IN LITERATURE AND ART BY B. N. SHARMA
[ asminnibandhe lekhaka mahodayena vaidikasahitye sahityagranthesu
puranetihasayoscopalabdhasya vamanacaritasya samksiptam vivaranam prastuya
vividha samgrahalayesu upalabdhanam vamanamurtinam paricaya vaisistyanca
pradattam |
ante ca citrakalasu upalabdhanam kesancidvamanacitranamapi paricayah
pradattah | puranadisu vamanapujaya ullekhah kesancana vamanamandiranam ca
nirdeso vartate yenanumiyate yadvamanapuja pracinakale pracalita srasit |
samprati ya vamanamurttaya upalabhyante tasu kascana tu dasavataramurttisu
prapyante, kascana visnumuttisu prapyante |
kavana murtayo dvibahudharah kascana ca
visnumanuharantyascaturbadharascatursu hastesu ca sankhacakadi-
visnvayudhah santi | puranesu murtisastragranyesu ca yat vamanasvarupam
varinatamasti, tadanusaram vamanah chatri, dandi, jati, mekhalajinadharah
kharvasarirasca varnitah | vamanamurttayah esam laksananamanurupa eva
santi, srasu vamanamuttisu kascana srstiyavarsasya pracinakale nirmitah,
kascana madhyayuge vinirmitah kascana carvacinakale'pi nirmitah santi |
esam sarvesam visayanamatra samksiptam vivaranam pradattam | lekho'yam
copayuktairvamana- citraisca samyojitah | dhyato harati yah papam svapne
drstasca papinam | tamupendramaham visnum namami pranatapriyam ||
Padma Purana, Patala Khanda, 89, 76. Mention of Vamana in Early
Literature Vamana-Trivikrama, the fifth incarnation of Lord Visnul, has a
clearly Vedic origin and is repeatedly mentioned in the Rg-Veda as taking
the three steps to measure the three worlds: idam visnurvicakrame tredha
nidadhe padam | samuhamasya pamsure || - RV 1, 22, 18. 1. See for details
our paper "Vamana and Vishu", Purana, Varanasi, VIII, 2, pp. 246 f.
yasyorusu trisu vikramanesvadhiksiyanti bhuvanani visva || ya idam dirgham
prayatam sadhasthameko vimame tribhiritpadebhih || yasya tri purna madhuna
padanyaksiyamana svadhaya madanti | ya u tridhatu prthivimu॒ta dyameko
dadhara bhuvanani visva || 55 -RV. 1, 154, 2-4.
According to the Satapatha Brahmana2 Vamana is Visnu; vamano ha
visnurasa - SB, 1, 2, 5, 5. In the Samaveda Samhita it is stated that Visnu
took form of Vamana and traversed the universe with his three steps.
In the Ramayana of Valmiki, Visvamitra while telling Rama about
Siddhasrama relates the story of Vamana:
iha rama mahabaho visnurdevanamaskrtah | varsani subahuniha tatha
yugasatani ca || tapascaranayogarthamuvasa sumahatapah 1 esa purvasramo
rama vamanasya mahatmanah 11 siddhasrama iti khyatah siddho yatra mahatapah
| etasminneva kale tu raja vairocanirbalih || nirjitya daivataganan sendran
saha marudganan ! karayamasa tadrajyam trisu lokesu visrutah || yajnam
cakara sumahanasurendro mahabalah | balestu yajamanasya devah
sagnipurogamah | samagamya svayam caiva visnumucurihasrame ||
balirvairocanirvisno yajate yajnamuttamam | asamaptavrate tasmin
svakaryamabhipadyatam || ye cainamabhivartante yacitara itastatah | yacca
yatra yathavacca sarvam tebhyah prayacchati ||
surahitarthaya mayayogamupasritah | vamanatvam gato visno kuru
kalyanamuttamam || [Vol. XII, No. 1 -- Ramayana, 1, 29, 2-9.
He again repeats this story and says that Visnu taking his descent through
Aditi assumed the form of the divine dwarf, went to Bali for three steps of
land. After he was granted the boon by the king, Vamana covered the (three)
worlds taming Bali by his might, and restored it to Indra. Thus, the Lord,
placed all the three worlds once more under the sway of Indra. It was
through the devotion to the aforesaid Lord Vamana alone that the hermitage
was occupied by him too:
atha visnurmahateja adityam samajayata | vamanam rupamasthaya
vairocanimupagamat || trin padanatha miksitva pratigrhya ca medinim |
akramya lokamllokarthi sarvalokahite ratah || mahendraya punah
pradanniyamya balimonasa | trailokyam sa mahatejascakre sakravasam punah ||
tenaiva purvamakranta asramah sramanasanah | mayapi bhaktya tasyaiva
vamanasyopabhujyate || - Ramayana, 1, 29.19cd-23ab.
In the Mahabharata, Siva relates in detail to Jayadratha the glorification
of Krsna in his various avataras. While describing his Vamana avatara, Siva
says that Aditi (the mother of Indra) before giving birth to this noble
child kept him in her womb for one thousand years. kasyapasyatmanah
srimanaditya garbhadharitah | purne varsasahasre tu prasuta garbhamuttamam
|| - MB, Vana, 272, 62.
The dwarf was dark like the clouds, held a staff and a water-pot in his
hands and bore a sri vatsa mark on the chest : durdinambhodasadrso diptakso
dandi kamandaludharah vamanakrtih | srivatsorasi bhusitah || - MB, Vana,
272, 63.
He had Jatas and wore a necklace. Vamana then went to the place where
king Bali was performing a great sacrifice. The king whole-heartedly
welcomed him and offered his services to him. Vamana blessed Bali and asked
for three steps of land only:
nati yajnopaviti ca bhagavan balarupadhrk | yajnavatam gatah sriman
danavendrasya vai tada || brhaspatisahayo'sau pravisto balino makhe | tam
drstva vamanatanum prahrsto balirabravit || prito'smi darsane vipra bruhi
tvam kim dadani te | evamuktastu balina vamanah pratyuvaca ha |
svastityuktva balim devah smayamano 'bhyabhasata | medinim danavapate dehi
me vikramatrayam || -MB, Vana., 272, 64-67.
Bali willingly granted him the required land. In order to measure
the land, the dwarf instantly transformed himself into a divine colossus:
balirdadau prasannatma viprayamitatejase | tato divyadbhutatamam rupam
vikramato hareh || vikramaistribhiraksobhyo jaharasu sa medinim | dadau
sakaya ca mahim visnurdevah sanatanah || - MB, Vana, 272, 68-69.
At another place in the same work, Bhisma tells to Yudhisthira in
brief that Visnu had measured the three worlds in his dwarf form:
vrtte devasure yuddhe daityadanavasamksaye || visnukrantesu lokesu
devaraje satakratau | ijyamanesu devesu caturvanrye vyavasthite ||
samrddhamatre trailokye pritiyukte svayambhuvi | - MB, Santi, 227, 7-8. The
above statements are also supported by the PadmaPurana :1 4. See also the
Matsya Purana, Chs. 244-46. 8
asvakante rathakante visnukrante vasundhare | [Vol. XII, No. 1 -PP., Uttara
Khanda, 40, 28 and 47, 43. and tvaya lokastrayah kantah pura
svairvikramaistribhih || tvayendrasca krto raja valirbaddho mahasurah | -
PP, Uttara Khanda 77, 18.
Besides these, the celebrated poet Kalidasa also refers to Vamana in a
beautiful verse as having taken the kingdom of Bali :
tamudvahantam pathibhojakanyam rurodha rajanyaganah sa drptah |
balipradistam sriyamadadanam traivikramam padamivendrasatruh || Worship of
Vamana || - Raghuvamsa, 7, 35.
Worship of Vamana appears to have been in vogue in ancient India. The
Matsya Purana" refers to a temple at Kruksetra dedicated to Visnu as
Vamana. A magnificent temple built in honour of Vamana also exists at
Khajuraho. In the garbhagrha of this temple is enshrined a 4' 8" image of
the god showing also the various incarnations of Visnu and the personified
weapons on its either side. The arms of the deity are now lost. SCULPTURAL
Vamana in Art. Vamana is generally shown either in dasavatara panels (Plate
I) or on the stele of a Visnu image along with other incarnations. A
colossal dasavatara slab found at Kumher shows Vamana and other
incarnations standing in a row. An interesting feature in this panel is
that over these figures are also depicted. It relates to the 10th seated
sapta-matrkas and Navagrahas. century A. D. and is displayed in the
Bharatpur Museum (No. 54). A meticulously executed standing image of Visnu
from Lotana shows on its back frame miniature figures of Matsya, Varaha, on
his right and Kacchapa, Vamana, Rama and Buddha Narasimha, Parasurama,
Balarama and Kalki on the left. {It is 5. Ibid. 6. K. Deva, Ancient India,
New Delhi, No. 15, 1959, p. 57. dates to 11th century A. D.} and is housed
in the Rajputana Museum, Ajmer (No. 303). In such images, Vamana is mostly
represented as a fat Brahmacarin carrying an umbrella and a staff in his
hands.
A beautiful description of such an image is given in the Agni Purana:
chatri dandi vamanah syadathava syacca turbhujah | AP, 49, 5.
Vamana sometimes is also represented below the upraised leg of Trivikrama
asking King Bali for three steps of land. A remarkably executed sculpture
of Trivikrama from Kasipur depicts in the lower panel king Bali pouring
sacred water from a jar on the right hand of Vamana, who is standing on his
left carrying a Chatra in his left hand and wearing a yajnopavita and a
kaupina. His curly locks of hair are tied up in a knot and he looks like a
dwarf Brahmacari The scene finds a literary description in the Vamana
Purana: sa vamano nati dandi chatri dhrtakamandaluh | sarvadevamayo devo
baleradhvaramabhyagat || || VP. 9, 39.
The image in some respects tallies with the description given in the
Vaikhanasagama:
atha vamanam pancatalamitim dvibhunam chatradandadharam kaupinavasasam
sikhapustakamekha lopavita krsnajina- samayutam pavitrapani balarupam
brahmavarcasvinam karayet |
The sculpture belongs to the Pratihara art of the 11th century A. D. and
is displayed in the National Museum, New Delhi (No. L. 143).
The earliest independent image of Vamana assignable to the Kusana
period, c. 2nd century A. D., is preserved in the State Museum, Lucknow
(No. J. 610). The hair of the god is arranged in spiral curls and his lower
garment is worn in typical Kusana style .Such sculptures of Vamana of the
Gupta period are extremely rare, as the deity is generally shown in the
lower panels of the images of Trivikrama described above. A sculpture of
Trivikrama of this period housed in the Mathura Museum (No. I 19) depicts
in the lower panel, 'king Bali pouring water from a jar symbolising his
gift of earth measuring three steps to Vamana
10. Thereupon, we learn, Vamana in his virat form as Trivikrama bestrided
the worlds with his left leg. This Puranic story is also recorded
indirectly in a contemporary epigraph, which relates that Visnu, for the
sake of happiness, of (Indra) the lord of the gods, seized back from (the
demon) Bali the goddess of the wealth and splendour , who is admitted to be
worthy of enjoyment, (and) who has been kept away from him for a very long
time: Sriyam- abhimata- bhogyam naika- kal- apanitam tridasapati- sukh
arttham yo Baler = ajahara! Kamala- nilayanayah sasvatam dhama Laksmy- ah
sa jayati vijit- arttir- Visnur = atyanta- jisnuh||
11 A post-Gupta sculpture in the Allahabad Museum (No. 292) depicts the
two-armed Vamana as a Brahmacari wearing a Krsnajino pavita. An
iconographic reference to it is found in the Visnudharmottara Purana: kartavyo
vamano devah sankatairgatraparvabhih | pinagatrasca kartavyo dandi
cadhyayanodyatah || durvasyamasca kartavyah krsnajinadharastatha |
sajalambudasamkasastatha karyastrivikramah || 11 -Vdh. P., 85, 54-55.
The independent images of Vamana of the mediaeval period are
invariably four-armed and carry the Vaisnavite attributes in their hands :
vamanastu sankhacakragadapadmalasatkarah
1 A twelfth century sculpture of Vamana carved in red-sand A stone (from
Central India) has curls of hair on his head. 18 daggar is tucked to his
waist on the right. The attributes held by the deity are in the same order
as referred to in an earlier image (No. 66.16). Near his feet stand
sankha-purusa and cakra-purusa and the devotee figures. A contemporary
black stone image of Vamana from Sambhar is also very much similar to the
sculpture just described above. But in this sculpture, Vamana carries a
mace It in his upper left hand and bears a Srivatsa mark 19 on the chest.
is now on display in the Central Museum, Jaipur (No. 11201;20 Pl. VII). The
Khajuraho Museum 21 also preserves a fine sculpture of Vamana with curly
hair on his head. Though charming in execution, it is yet less elaborate in
details as compared to the image enshrined in the Vamana temple there. 22
The Central Archaeological Museum at Gwalior has two fine sculptures of
Vamana. The one from Naderi shows the dwarf god standing and holding conch
and disc in the left and club and lotus in the right hands. Two figures
stand on either side of the deity. The other image, which was discovered at
Narwar, is about 4' high and is a magnificent example of the 12th century
A. D. Vamana stands on a pedestal resting on three devotees, while two
other worshippers sit on his either side. He carries a conch, disc, club in
his three hands, while his one hand is in abhaya-pose The sculpture, as
also recorded in the Brahmavaivarta Purana depicts the figures of other
incarnations of Visnu.
Brahmacari putting on a langoti. His hair is beautifully plained and tied
into a sikha on the head. He holds in the upper hands a lotus and a
manuscript and the lower right hand is supporting a aksasutra. Another
equally charming specimen is displayed in the Rajputana Museum, Ajmer 25
(No. 443). Unfortunately, the hands of the deity are damaged, but probably
he carried a lotus in the upper right hand and a rosary in the lower right.
One of the finest images of Vamana from Uttar Pradesh is the one discovered
long ago at Sitapur and now preserved in the State Museum, Lucknow (H-127).
The image is carved in usual manner and shows flying celestials on either
side of his head. It belongs to the early mediaeval period. 26 We have not
seen any image of Vamana where the deity is represented like an ill-shaped
man with hunch back as referred to in the Silpa-ratna:
27 krsnajinyupaviti syacchatri dhrtakamandaluh | kundali sikhaya yuktah
kubjakaro mahodarah || -Silpa-ranta. The images of this incarnation of
Visnu have also been recorded from South India. 28 Fashioning of the images
of Vamana continued also in the post-mediaeval period. A four-armed
standing image of Vamana attended by two pair of devotees on his either
side, is a splendid example of the sculptural art of the early 12th
century.
Vamana standing before them. In this particular painting the deity is
wearing a crown and the quaint jewellery of the period. The one eyed
Sukracarya, the guru of Bali, is standing on the left of Vamana and trying
to dissuade the king to do so. In another contemporary Pahari painting 30,
Vamana is represented not as a young brahmacari but as an old rsi or a
saint. His hair and the long beard are shown white. The body of the
dwarfish pot-bellied god is nude excepting that he wears a white dhoti, and
carries an umbrella in one of his hands. It appears that in spite of the
iconographic variations, the fashioning of the images of Vamana was a
favourite subject among the artists in India and his worship was quite
popular in all the ages!.
K RAJARAM IRS 15 09 2024
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: 'gopala krishnan' via iyer123 <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, 15 Sept 2024 at 11:32
Subject: [iyer123] ONAM DIVINE POSTING-ULAGALANTHA PERUMAL
TEMPLE-KANACHIPURAM- TAMILNADU
To: Iyer <[email protected]>
ONAM DIVINE POSTING -ULAGALANTHA PERUMAL TEMPLE-KANACHIPURAM- TAMILNADU-
COMPILED
Dear friends,
I had been to this temple a few times. It is a medium temple near
Kamakshiamman temple. The translation is Vamana Murthy kshethram in
Malayalam.
Hope a divine reading in the morning.
I wish all my friends a very happy Onam today (15-09-2024.)
1. INTRODUCTION
Deity Trivikraman, Ulagalantha Perumal (Vishnu)
Amuthavalli (Lakshmi)
Tower: Śrīkara Vimanam
Temple tank: Naga Tirtham, Shesha Tirtham
ArchitectureType Dravidian architecture
Direction of façade West
Ulagalandha Perumal Temple is a temple dedicated to Vishnu located in
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Dravidian style of
architecture, the temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham,
the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th through 9th
centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is
worshipped as Ulagalantha Perumal, and his consort Lakshmi as Amuthavalli.
The temple is believed to have been built by the Pallavas, with later
contributions from the medieval Cholas, Vijayanagara kings, and Madurai
Nayaks.
The temple is situated in Big Kanchipuram, and is very close Kamakshi
Amman Temple. The temple complex actually houses four Divya Desams in its
different precincts, namely, Tirukkaravanam, Tirukarakam, Tiruneerakam, and
Tiruürakam, that last of which is present with in the sanctum sanctorum of
the main temple.
Vamana, the Brahmin dwarf, and one of the ten avatars of Vishnu, is held to
have appeared here to quell the pride of the asura king Mahabali.
As Ulagalantha Perumal, he is believed to have appeared before king
Mahabali and the Alvars.
Six daily rituals and a dozen yearly festivals are held at the temple, of
which the chariot festival, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai
(March–April), is the most prominent. The temple is maintained and
administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government
of Tamil Nadu.
2 LEGEND
The Bhagavata Purana describes that Vishnu descended as the Vamana avatar
to restore the authority of Indra over Svarga, as it had been taken by
Mahabali, a benevolent asura King. Bali was the grandson of Prahlada. King
Mahabali was generous, and engaged in severe austerities, winning the
praise of the world. With the praise from his courtiers and others, he
regarded himself as the most powerful being in the world. Vamana, in the
guise of a short Brahmin carrying a wooden umbrella, went to the king to
request three paces of land. Mahabali consented, against the warning of his
guru, Shukracharya.
Vamana then revealed his identity, and enlarged to gigantic proportions to
stride over the three worlds.
He stepped from heaven to earth with the first step, from earth to the
netherworld with the second. With all the dominions he held effectively
under Vamana's strides.
King Mahabali, unable to fulfil his promise, offered his head for the third.
Vamana then placed his foot upon the humbled monarch, banishing him to the
netherworld. Some texts also report that Vamana did not step into the
netherworld, and instead gave its rule to Mahabali.
In his giant form, Vamana is known as Trivikrama. The legend is associated
with the Thrikkakara Temple in Kerala and also with this temple and
Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, Tirukoyilur.
3 HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
According to the historian Nagaswamy, based on the inscriptions and the
location of the temple, it is the oldest temple in Kanchipuram. The
earliest inscription is from 846 CE during the regime of Nandivarman III
(846–869 CE). There is another account that the temple is developed further
by Rajendra Chola I (1012–1044 CE).
The temple has 15 inscriptions from various dynasties like Pallavas, Chola
and Sambuvarayars. There is a Chola inscription dated 1110 CE during the
reign of Kulothunga Chola I (1070–1120 CE) indicating his visit to the
temple and his gift of land to the temple whose income was to be used for
the maintenance of the temple. Another similar inscription indicates the
donation of a village by the king on behest of his queen Kampamadeviyar.
There are inscriptions from later Chola kings like Rajadhiraja Chola II
(1166–1178 CE) and Rajaraja Chola III (1216-1256 CE) indicating various
records of gifts to the temple. There are also inscriptions from minor
chieftains like Vijaya Gandagopala indicating gifts to the temple. The
inscriptions refer the main deity by various names like Thiru Uragathu
Ninru-arulina Paramaswamin, Tiru Uragathaḻvar and Tiru Uragathu
Emberuman.The Sambuvarayar rule of the 16th century records the gift of a
pond and a grove in Sevvanmedu village. The temple still continues to
possess this grove.
The inscriptions in the temple also indicate increased trade and commerce
during the Pallava period, with licenses provided to shops like oil, ghee,
arecanut, vegetables, flowers, coconut, sugar, cloth and sandal. The temple
has not received a single donation from the ruling Vijayanagara Empire,
though the nearby temples received generous donations, indicating that the
temple had sources of income.
>From those days Pancharatra Agama was followed in the temple, though all
the surrounding people followed Vaikhanasa and Pancharatra Agama.
Parimelalhagar, the 13th-century Tirukkural commentator, belonged to the
lineage of priests of the Ulagalantha Perumal temple.
4 ARCHITECTURE
The temple is located in central Kanchipuram, a locality in the Central
side of Kanchipuram, a South Indian town in the state of Tamil Nadu. The
temple has an area of about 60,000 square feet and has a three tiered
rajagopuram (main towers) with seven kalasas.
The temple houses four Divya Desams. It is believed that all the shrines
were probably separate temples, but the circumstances which lead do these
temples getting housed in the Ulagalantha Perumal temple is not known.
Thirumangai
Alvar has sung praises of all the four temples in a single verse. The
temple tank, Naga Tirtham, is located outside the main temple complex.
The temple is revered by the verses of Tirumangai Alvar and Thirumashisai
Alvar.
5 DEITIES
Thaayar of the temple is Amuthavalli (Amirthavalli) and the festival deity
of the temple is Loganathan. The idol of Ulagalantha Perumal is over 35 ft
(11 m) in height depicted with his left leg at a right angle to the body
and parallel to the ground. The right leg is seen placed on the head of
Mahabali with two fingers on his left hand stretched out referring to the
two steps he took to measure the two worlds and the stretched finger on his
right hand indicating the question the posted to Mahabali as to where he
could place his third step. The roof of the sanctum, the vimana has an
elevated roof to accommodate the huge image of the presiding deity.
6 TIRUÜRAKAM
The central shrine of temple is most commonly referred as Peragam, while
the smaller shrine where the image of the snake god Adishesha is houses is
called Tiruürakam. As per tradition, Mahabali at the foot of Vamana, could
not view the deity's vishvarupam, and requested him to manifest as a
smaller form. Vishnu obliged, and appeared as a snake in a smaller shrine. The
shrine is frequented by childless couple praying for offspring.
7 TIRUKKARAKAM
The shrine is located on the third precinct of the temple. As per Hindu
legend, sage Garga performed his penance at this temple and obtained
knowledge. The place thus derived its name Garagaham, which later became
Karakam. The presiding deity of the shrine is Karunakara Perumal facing
north and seated on Adishesha and his consort Padmamani Nachiyar. The
temple tank associated with it is called Agraya Tirtham, and the vimana is
called Vamana Vimanam or Ramaya Vimanam.
8 TIRUKKARAVANAM
The shrine is located in the second precinct. The presiding deity is called
Kalvar and faces north, while his consort is Kamalvalli Thayar. Gauri
Tatakam and Taratara Tatakam are the temple tanks associated with the
temple and the vimana is called Puskala Vimana. There is a separate for
Aranavalli Thayar.
9 TIRUNEERAKAM
The temple has no presiding deity, but just a festive image probably
brought from other shrine. The images of the festival deity, Jagadishvara,
facing the east and having four arms, is housed in a hall in the second
precinct. The water body associated with the temple is Akrura Tirtham and
the vimana is Jagadishvara Vimanam. According to Pillai Perumal Aiyangar in
his Nurrettrutiruppatiyantati, Vishnu revealed himself to a sage in the
form of a child as a banyan leaf.
10 FESTIVALS AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
The temple priests perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a
daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong
to the Vaishnavaite community, a Brahmin community.
The temple rituals are performed six times a day: Ushathkalam at 7 a.m.,
Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m.,
Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 10:00 p.m. Each ritual has
three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa
aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Ulagalantha Perumal and Amuthavalli.
During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil
(percussion instrument) are played, 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. There are two major festivals celebrated
in the temple - Brahmotsavam during the Tamil month of Thai
(January–February) and Vamana Jayanthi during the Tamil month of Avani
(August–September) on Sravanam star.
11 RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE
The temple is revered in Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century
Vaishnava canon, by Thirumangai Alvar in one hymn of Thirunedunthandagam.
The temple is classified as a Divya Desam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples
that are mentioned in the book. The temple is unique among Divya Desams as
it is the only temple complex that houses four different Divya Desams.
Notes
Sri Ulagalanda Perumal Temple is one among the Divya desams found in
Kanchipuram. We can see the head of Mahabali being stamped under the
Thiruvadi of Sri Ulagalantha Perumal. As a request of Mahabali, Perumal
showed His another form as "Aadhiseshan" in this same temple. This temple
is very near to Sri Kamakshi temple. This Divyadesam also has 3 more Divya
desams ( Thiruneeragam, Thirukaragam and Thirukarvanam) within itself.
The Perumal shows His one finger of the right hand which says that He has
measured the first step. His left hand which shows two fingers denotes that
He has measured the entire world as the second step too. And, He asks for
the third and final step for which the king Mahabali bow down towards Him
and asks to measure his head as the 3 step.
12 ULAGALANTHA PERUMAL TEMPLE TIMINGS:
The opening and closing timings are very important to know to visit the
temple in the day staring the doors will open at 6 am till 12 pm again
opens at 4 pm and final closing at 8 pm in the night.
Ushathkalam Pooja at 7 am
Kalasanthi Pooja at 8 am
Uchikalam Pooja 12 pm
Sayarakshai pooja 6 am
Irandamkalam Pooja at 7 am
Ardha Jamam Pooja at 10 am
13 Amuthavalli Nachiyar Sametha Ulagalantha Perumal Temple
There is separate sannidhi for thayar in this temple.
14 ADDRESS OF THE TEMPLE
Ulagalanda Perumalm Sannidi Street, Big Kanchipuram, Kanchipuram - 631502
(Near Kamatchi Amman Temple)
Call: 8500085151, 9443597107,94425 53820
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