STHALASAYANAPERUMAL TEMPLE, MAHABALIPURAM, CHENNAI-Compiled Dear friends,
Today my posting is about the Sthala Sayana Perumal Temple, atMahabalipuram, in theChingleput District of Tamil Nadu- It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and isrenowned for its unique depiction of the deity in a reclining (sleeping)posture. The temple is believed to have been built during thePallava period and is located near the Mahabalipuram bus stand and other monuments. Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram, is a town known for its UNESCO World Heritagesite, the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, which dates back tothe 7th and 8th centuries. However the temple is under HR &CE Government ofTamil Nadu. Hope a divine reading. Gopalakrishnan 24-6-2025. Key Features: Deity: The main deity is Sthala Sayana Perumal (Vishnu) in areclining pose, with his consort Lakshmi as Nilamangai Thayar. Location:Situated in the heart of Mahabalipuram, near the bus stand andother historical sites. Architecture:Built in the Dravidian style, with contributionsfrom the Pallavas, Cholas, Vijayanagarkings, and Nayaks. Historical Significance:The temple is mentioned in theNaalayira Divya Prabandham, an early Tamil canon, and is believed to be thebirthplace of the VaishnavaAlvar saint Bhoothathalvar. Festivals:The temple celebrates the annual Bhoothatazhwar Avata festivalduring the Tamil month of Aipasi (October-November). Opening Hours:Open from 6 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 8:30 pm Introduction Sthalasayana Perumal Temple (also called Thirukadalmallai) isat Mahabalipuram. Constructed in the Pallavan style of architecture, the templeis glorified in the NaalayiraDivya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saintsfrom the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desam dedicated to Vishnu, who isworshipped as Sthalasayana Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as NilamangaiThayar. The temple is believed to have been built by the Pallavas, with latercontributions from the Medieval Cholas, Vijayanagara kings, and Madurai Nayaks. The temple is believed to be the birthplace of theVaishnava Alvar saint Bhoothathalvar. SthalasayanaPerumal is believed to have appeared to sage Pundarika. This templeis known for its historical and religious significance and is dedicated to LordVishnu in his Sthalasayana Perumal form, which means the Lord who rests on the ground. Legends As per Hindu legend, once sage Pundarika was performingpenance worshiping Vishnu at this place. He collected Tamara flowers andsubmitted it to view Vishnu in Ksirabdhi Natha form, his posture in Ocean ofmilk. He collected 1,008flowers and, in his intensity, he scooped out water also in full. Vishnu came in disguise in the form of sage and asked him forfood. The sage went to acquire food for the old man, butwhile returning he found that Vishnu lying on floor in the place. Since Vishnu stayedin this place, he was called Sthalasayana Perumal. The legend issanctified by Bhoothath Alvar in his verses in Naalayira Divya Prabandham. The temple is associated with several legends and storiesfrom Hindu mythology. It issaid that Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, worshipped Lord Vishnu atthis site, and the temple is believed to be the spot where LordVishnu revealed his cosmic form to Lord Brahma. As per another legend, a king by name Harikesarivarmanused to visit the Nithyakalyana Perumal temple at Thiruvidandai every day fromMahabalipuram and wanted to settle there. Vishnu was pleased by his devotion and appeared asSthalasayana Perumal at Mahabalipuram. History References to modern dayMahabalipuram as a busy port is available in the works of Ptolemy from CE 140. There are many references to theplace from Sangam Literature from third century CE. The temple is referred inthe works of seventh century works of Bhoothath Alvar and eighth century works of Thiru MangaiAlvar. The port city came to prominence during the reign of Pallavakings Mahendra Varman I and his son Narasimha Varman I after whom the city isnamed. The city was afamous port city during the reign of Medieval Cholas from the 9th century. There are many inscriptions referring to the period. The temple also had expansions by Chola king Vikrama Chola(1118-35 CE) during 1120 CE. The inscription made during the reign of Pandyaduring 1288 CE indicates gift for the feeding house of the temple. During the 14th century, the Vijayanagara kingParankusa shifted the temple to its current location away from the shore. He is believed to have built thefour Mada streets around the temple. The Shore Temple locatedon the shore is believed to be the original shrine housing two images of Shivaon either side of the image of Vishnu. The Pallava King constructed 3 temples dedicated to the Lord Perumal. However, twoof those temples were destroyed by the sea. The one temple that survivedfor centuries is the Sthalasayana Perumal Temple which was moved from the seashore to its current location in 14th century by Vijayanagar king Parankusa. Architecture The temple is located in Mahabalipuram, a historic town onthe outskirts of Chennai. Thetemple is located close to Arjuna's Penance, the most famous landmark of theGroup of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. The temple is also believed tobe the birthplace of Bhoothath Alvar, the 2nd Alvar, the poet saints of 7th-9thcenturies. The temple has a seven-tiered Raja gopuram built during15-16th century. The granite base of the entrance is studded with sculptures.There are two precincts inside the temple with the sanctum is located axial tothe main gate and approached through a Dvajasthambam, Bali peetam (sacrificialaltar), Deepa Stambam (altar for lamps) and Garuda Mandapam. The temple tank islocated outside the temple and is called Pundarika Pushkarani. It has a smallpillared mandapa in its centre. Sanctum, deities and idols The sanctum houses the image ofSthalasayana Perumal, the presiding deity, in reclining posture. Theimage is sported with Ahvahanahasta, which indicates beckoning devotees to him. The image of Pundarika Maharishi is seen in standing posture.The processional deity, namely Ulaguyyaninran, sported with four arms, ishoused in the sanctum. There is an east facingshrine to the right of sanctum for Lakshmi, the consort of Perumal, in the formof Nilamangai Thayar.As if following suit with the lord, Thayar in this temple is also sitting on the floor (instead of sitting onlotus as seen in other temples) in a separate sannidhi. Thayar is named as “Nilamangai Thayar” which means Thayar issitting on the floor. There are shrines for Andal,Lakshmi Narasimha, Bhoothath Alvar, Rama,and Alvars in the first precinct around the sanctum. There is a shrine for Hanuman opposite to the shrine of Rama. There isa four pillared hall, with sculpted pillars in front of the temple, wasdesigned for Dolotsavam (swing festival). Poojas and Festivals The temple follows the traditions of the Tenkalai sect of Vaishnavitetradition and follows the Vaikanasa Agama. The temple priestsperform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at otherVishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavite community,of the Brahmin varna. The temple rituals are performed six times a day: Ushathkalamat 7 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 8:30 p.m. There are weekly,monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. Nivedyams Puliyodharai (Tamarind Rice), Dhadhyonam (Curd Rice), Pongal,Chakkarai Pongal, Vada, Adhirasam, Murukku are offered to Vishnu as nivedyamsand given to devotees as Prasadam. Importance The temple is one of the 32 Group of Monuments atMahabalipuram that are declared as UN world heritage sites, but unlike others that aremaintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, the temple is maintained and administered by theHindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu. Festivals Maasi Makam is an important festival. The Uthsavaidol in the temple, along with His Consorts, and those of Valavendai Gnanapiranor Adivaraha and Sri Rama from nearby Padavedu temple, will be taken inprocession to the seashore at Mahabalipuram where special Poojas will beperformed and "Theerthavari" are offered. Bhoothatalwar's Avathara Utsavam is also an importantfestival. Bhoothathalvar Avata Utsavam, the birth anniversary ofBhoothath Alvar is celebrated every year during the Tamil month of Aippasi(October - November). At around 10 am on the festival day, the festival image ofthe Alvar is brought in a palanquin to the shrine of Nilamangai Thayar and thento Stalasayana Perumal. After the recital of Periya Tirumoli of ThirumangaiAlvar, Kaithala Seva, a practise of providing a special gift to Bhoothath Alvaris performed. Bhootath Alvar also makes a trip to the Cave temple ofMahabalipuram. During the evening, the festival images of the presiding deityof Stalasayana Perumal and Bhoothath Alvar is taken around the streets of thetemple. The temple celebrates various Hindu festivals, including Vaikunta Ekadashi, which is amajor annual festival dedicated to Lord Vishnu. During this festival, devoteesvisit the temple to seek the Lord’s blessings. Specialty The temple isclassified as a Divya Desam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentionedin the book. Thirumangai Alvar considers the recliningform of Vishnu special as it is the only place where he reclines in groundwithout his traditional snake Adiseshan. Administration The temple is one of the 32 Group of Monuments atMahabalipuram that are declared as UN world heritage sites, but unlike othersthat are maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the temple ismaintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of theGovernment of Tamil Nadu. ASI had a proposal to bring the maintenance of thetemple under its jurisdiction in July 2012. Following widespread protest by locals andshopkeepers the proposal was dropped by the central ministry of Culture inSeptember 2013.Sthalasayana Perumal Temple: Religious Significance: The temple is an important pilgrimage site for followers ofVaishnavism and devotees of Lord Vishnu. It is alsovisited by tourists interested in exploring the rich religious andarchitectural heritage of Tamil Nadu. Annadanam The temple'scommitment to serving fresh and hot food through nithya annadhan seva reflectsits dedication to community welfare and spiritual nourishment. Temple timings The Sthalasayana Perumal Temple in Mahabalipuram is open from6:00 AM to 12:00 PM andfrom 3:00 PM to 8:30 PM daily. Location This temple at Mahabalipuram is situated in Tamil Nadu 40 Kms away from Chennaiand 7 miles from Thiruvidanthai. Dress Code Since it is an Archaeological Hindu temple, we highlyrecommend you dress modestly and respectfully. Women can opt for long skirts,sarees, churidar/ salwar kameez, or pants. Men can wear long trousers or pants.However, both men and women are allowed to wear shorts. But it is advisable toavoid wearing any party wear or anything too revealing. Address of the temple Sthala Sayana Perumal Temple Address: S Mada St,Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu 603104, India Contact Number: +91-9444081142 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/817521498.1351251.1750772127497%40mail.yahoo.com.
