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The Pavalavannam Temple, or the Thiru Pavalavannam Temple, is the holy abode of Lord Vishnu. It is located in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu. It is a Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and among the 108 Divyadesams. There is mention and glorification of this Temple in the Divya Prabanha, a holy book of the Azhwar saints. Lord Vishnu and his wife Shri Lakshmi are worshipped here as Sri Pavala Vannar Perumal and Pavalavalli Thayyar, respectively.
As mentioned above, this Temple was built for Lord. The legend goes that Marichi Maharshi, a devotee of Vishnu, had questions that he wanted answers to directly from the Lord himself. He wanted to know why Vishnu, the God of all Gods, took a human avatar in the form of Ram. He also wanted to know why he allowed Ravan to kidnap Sita. Happy with the penances made by the Rishi, the Lord gave Darshan to him. When he saw Vishnu, he further wanted to know why he needed the help of Sri Anjaneya to rescue Sita.
The Lord explained that he took the human form to please those who loved and worshipped him. Lord Shiva joined Vishnu as they liked each other and enjoyed the company of those who loved them. The Lord further explained that he wanted to show the people what family Dharma is, how one should respect their parents, how brothers should stay in unity, and how to respect their sisters-in-law. This avatar, as per Vishnu, was to teach people the rules of a united ideal family. These answers satisfied the sage, and the Lord himself later gave the name of Pachai Vanna Perumal.
The Temple is called Pachai Vanna Perumal as the Lord appears green and thus is called by the name. Here Pachai means green, and Vannam means emerald. Since Lord Vishnu only gave darshan to Marichi Rishi, only the Lord's statue is in the sanctum sanctorum. Additionally, since he has darshan to the sage as Rama, Lord Rama and Mother Sita are worshipped. There is a separate shrine for Mahalakshmi. Usually, a Sri Chakra is installed in the front or near the shrine, but here it is inside the shrine itself, which is a significant feature.
There is the serpent Adisesha which is the bed of the Lord. He was born as Lakshmana in Rama Avatar on the mission to install Dharma. So the Divine serpent is honoured in this Temple not in the form of Lakshmana but in the form of Jyoti above Lord Vishnu's head. So NagaDeepam is placed in the shrine.
There is another story related to the Jyoti. It is believed that Lord Brahma performed a yajna without inviting Saraswati. Angry with that, she caused a lot of trouble in the form of a Jyoti. Lord Vishnu came to the rescue of Brahma in the form of Jyoti and helped to complete the yajna. Hence Nagadeepam is believed to be a form of Sri Vishnu in his Temple.
The Pavalavannam Temple is a 19th-century Temple built on a 2-acre land. The hall of the Temple is surrounded by mirrors on all sides. It has imposing walls around the Prakaram and has a raja gopuram which is 5-tier. There are shrines of the Alwars, Andaals, and Acharyas in the Prakaram. The Temple has a tank called the Chakra Theertham, and the Vimanam is called Pavala Vimanam. The Temple's construction is Dravidian style, and the deity is in a standing posture.
The Brahmotsavam, which is an annual festival, is celebrated in Vaikasi month. The other festivals conducted here are the Vaikunta Ekadasi in the month of Markazi and the Pavitrotsavam in Pankuni month. Special rituals are conducted in this Temple, and the Temple is revered by the devotees. Another Temple, the Sri Pachai Varnar, which is 500m opposite the Pavalavannam Temple, is also to be visited as they form the Divya Desam.
The Temple is in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu. The exact location of the Temple is as below
15J/9-2, Damalwar Street, Melkathirpur,
Periya, Kanchipuram,Tamil Nadu – 631502
The timings of the Temple are:
Morning:7.30 AM to 11.30 AM
Evening:5.00 pm to 8.00 pm
By Air: If you are travelling by air, then Chennai airport is the nearest to this Temple. You can hire a taxi to get to the Temple.
By Rail: Travelling by rail is also convenient as the Kanchipuram railway station is close to the Temple. It is well connected to several south Indian cities, including Chennai.
By Bus: Buses are available from cities like Bangalore, Madurai, Chennai, Tirupati, Pondicheery, etc. The Temple is at a short distance from the Kanchipuram bus stand.
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