Uppiliappan Temple / Oppilliappan Temple

Introduction

Uppiliappan Temple is one of the famous Vishnu shines of Tamil Nadu. Also hailed as Thiruvinnagar, this ancient temple is located at Thirunageswaram village, in the outskirts of Kumbakonam town. The main deity is worshipped here as Lord Uppiliappan, and his consort is Goddess Bhoomi Devi. The Azhwar saints have revered this Lord in their Divyaprabhandham hymns, and hence, this shrine remains a celebrated Divya Desam, a particularly holy abode of Vishnu. He is said to have appeared here for sage Markandeya, Goddess Bhoomadevi, and Lords Brahma and Shiva. The name Uppiliappan – Uppu Ili Appan- can mean 'the one without salt.' And true to this interpretation, Neyvethyams, the sacred food offering made to the Lord in this temple, are always cooked without salt. But it is generally accepted that his original name was 'Oppiliappan'- Oppu Ili Appan- 'the one who has no comparisons or equals,' but later it got distorted to Uppiliappan. The presiding deity is also known in other names like Thiruvinnagarappan, Srinivasan, and Venkatachalapathy. This Lord is often treated on par with Lord Venkatachalapathy of the famous hill temple Tirupathi and is considered by some as his elder brother.

Temple Legends

The sacred text Brahmanda Purana gives a detailed account of the legend about this temple. Once, the sacred plant Tulsi did penance for always remaining close to Vishnu. Vishnu granted her wish and said that his consort Lakshmi herself would appear in Tulasi's lap in Tiruvinnagaram. Accordingly, Tulsi appeared in this place and was waiting for the Lord to fulfill his word. On the other hand, sage Markandeya was performing intense penance towards Vishnu in this place for getting Goddess Mahalakshmi as his daughter. Pleased by his devotion, Vishnu made Bhoomi Devi appear beneath the Tulsi bush as a baby. Sage Markandeya was extremely happy at this divine gift and began raising the child with love and care. When she attained marriageable age, Vishnu came to the sage in the form of an old man and asked the girl's hand in marriage. Markandeya was taken aback at the elder's request, but still explained to him that his daughter was too young and that she cannot even cook properly with ingredients like salt! But Vishnu, in the guise of the elder, remained steadfast on his proposal and replied that even if she cooked without salt, he would accept it gladly. Markandeya understood instantly that it was none other than the Lord himself, and the Lord too appeared before him in his true form with conch and discus, as he would appear in Vaikuntam or Vinnagaram. The grateful sage was overjoyed and got his daughter married to him happily. And true to his promise, the Lord accepts all the food offerings without salt, even today!

The History and Architecture of Uppiliappan Temple

It is believed that this temple structure was built in the 8th century CE by the medieval Cholas, while the Thanjavur Nayaks contributed to its expansion. The entrance tower, Rajagopuram, is 5-tiered, and the temple complex with all its shrines and the sacred tank is enclosed within a granite wall. The imposing idol of Uppiliappan is standing majestically in the sanctum sanctorum, while sage Markandeya and Bhoomidvi are squatting near his feet. The gold-plated roof above the sanctum is Suddhananda Vimana, meaning 'pure joy.' There are separate shrines for Krishna, Rama, Hanuman, Garuda, Azhwars, and saints Ramanuja and Desika. The spot where Bhoomidevi is said to have been born is also there in the temple. Ahoraathra Pushkarini, the temple tank, also remains part of the temple complex. There are also spacious pillared halls, with intricate carvings and stucco images. The temple has 2 chariots, rich in artistic designs and wooden carvings.

Temple Festivals

The chariot festival is celebrated in the month of Panguni (March-April) with devotion and enthusiasm, while Vaikunta Ekadasi is observed in Margazhi (December-January) with religious fervor. Vasanta Utsavam, the spring festival, is also an important celebration here.

Benefits of worshipping Lord Uppiliappan

Lord Uppiliappan and Goddess Mahalakshmi are the universal parents, and they are believed to shower their blessings on the devotees and bestow them with good health, prosperity, happiness, and peace. It is also said that the divine couple can help inculcate tolerance in life-partners and bring about marital harmony. This temple is also regarded as the southern equivalent of the famous Tirupathi temple, and many devotees fulfill their vows and perform marriages here, as it is done in the hill-temple.