The Temple
The Temple is a huge one on a 23-acre (93,000 m2) complex and shows the architectural skills of ancient Vishwakarma Sthapathis in temple architecture and is famous for its holiness and ancient history. The temple has 3 outer precincts (prakaram) namely Azhwar Prakaram, Madai Palli Prakaram and Thiru Malai Prakaram. There are 32 shrines, 19 vimanams, 389 pillared halls (most having the lion type yali sculpture) and sacred sacred tanks some located outside the complex.
The main sanctum faces west and can be entered through a 130 feet tall, 7-tiered rajagopuram (main gateway tower). The eastern gopuram is taller than the western gopuram, which is contrasting to large temples where the rajagopuram is the tallest one. One of the most famous architectural pieces in the temple is the huge stone chain sculpted in a single stone. There is a 100 pillared hall has sculptures depicting Ramayana and Mahabarathastands the masterpiece of Vijayanagara architecture.
The shrine of Varadarajaswamy is on a small hillock 10m tall and a fleet of 24 stps, termed "Hasthagiri" and has murals of the late Vijayanagara empire is found on the ceiling. Another significant thing about the temple are beautiful carved lizards and platted with gold, over the sanctum. The vimana over the sanctum of Vradaraja Swami is called Punyakoti Vimanam and the one over Perundevi Thayar shrine is called Kalyana Koti Vimanam.
Apart from the main stone idol, the temple has the wooden image of Varadarajaswamy preserved within a silver box in water pumped out every 40 years. There is a shrine of Narasimha on the hillock. The origin of the mask of Narasimha is mysterious and believed to possess inexplicable powers.
In the second precinct downstairs contains four shrines, the important one of which is of Malayala Nachiar (Kerala consort), presumably built during the Chera kings in the early 14th century.
The third precinct has the shrine of Goddess Perundevi Thayar - it is customary for devotess to visit the shrine first before visiting the Perumal shrine. There are four small pillared halls identical in strcutre called Thulabara Mandapas built during the 1532 for a ceremony of Achutaraya of the Vijayanagara empire.
As Lord Vishnu accepted requests of everyone and gave what they wanted, he came to be called ‘Varadar’(one who gives).
Read more about this topic: Varadharaja Perumal Temple
Famous quotes containing the word temple:
“The divinity in man is the true vestal fire of the temple which is never permitted to go out, but burns as steadily and with as pure a flame on the obscure provincial altar as in Numa’s temple at Rome.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The heathen are come into thine inheritance,
And thy temple have they defiled.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)