Yathothkari Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram

Introduction

Yathothkari Perumal Temple is one of the oldest Vishnu shrines of the temple town of Kanchipuram. The Lord is enshrined here as Yathothkari, and the name translates as Sonnavannam Seitha Perumal in Tamil. His consort is Goddess Komalavalli. Goddess Saraswati and Thirumazhisai Azhwar were said to have got the darshan of the Lord here. The presiding deity is unique, as he is reclining on the serpent couch with his head to his left and feet to his right, unlike the usual position of head-to-the-right and feet-to-the-left. This Lord has come under praise in the devotional compositions of the Azhwar saints, and hence, this temple remains a Divya Desam, a particularly sacred abode of Vishnu. Besides, this also happens to the place of birth of the Azhwar saint Poigai Azhwar. This holy place is also known as Thiruvekka in traditional accounts.

Temple Legends

The story about the name of the presiding deity is quite interesting. Once, saint Thirumazhisai Azhwar and his disciple Kanikannan lived in this place, when an old lady was very sincerely doing service in the temple. Impressed with her devotion and commitment, the Azhwar prayed to the Lord here, and the lady was turned into an extraordinarily beautiful young woman, by divine grace. The king of Kanchipuram got deeply attracted by this woman and married her. As days passed, the king started getting old while his wife remained as she was. On coming to know of the truth from his wife, the king asked Kanikannan to sing a hymn so that he too becomes young and handsome. When Kanikannan refused, the king banished him from the city. On hearing this, his Guru Thirumazhisai Azhwar sang a hymn addressed to the Lord here, asking him also to roll up his snake bed and come with them. And the Lord did what was told to him, and all the 3, Kanikannan, Thirumazhisai Azhwar, and the Lord of this temple left the town. As a result, the place lost all its grandeur and charm. The king realized his mistake, sought pardon, and pleaded with all of them to return. The Azhwar agreed and immediately sang another hymn, this time asking the Lord to return with them to their original place. And this time, too, the Lord obliged and returned to his temple in Kanchi. Thus his name itself became ‘the Lord who did as he was told!’ And he came to be called ‘Yathothkari’ or ‘Sonnavannam Seitha Perumal.’ It is also said that in his hurry to spread his snake bed and lie down on his return, the Lord occupied the unique position by placing his head to his left!

Besides, this is also one of the temples associated with Goddess Saraswati. Once, there arose a serious difference of opinion between Saraswati and his consort Lord Brahma. When Brahma started performing a grand sacrifice, Saraswati took the form of river Vegavathi and came flooding to drown the Yagya. But Lord Vishnu, on Brahma’s request, stretched himself down right across her path for stopping the waters from proceeding further. With Vishnu acting like a barrage, the Vegavathi waters were stopped, and Brahma’s sacrifice went on without hindrance. The barrage was known as Vega Sethu, which became Vekkanai, Vekka, and Thiru Vekka.

The History and Architecture of Yathothkari Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram

This ancient temple of the Pallava capital Kanchipuram was built by the Pallava kings, possibly in the 8th century CE. While the temple inscriptions reveal the Chola contributions to this temple, the Vijayanagar kings, too, have added to its expansion. The temple has a 3-tier Rajagopuram, the entrance tower, while the complex is enclosed within a granite compound wall. In the sanctum, the presiding deity Yathothkari is reclining on the serpent couch in Bujanga Sayanam, facing West. His majestic idol is made of stucco and remains a rare representation of reclining Vishnu form. Goddess Saraswati can be seen at his feet. The roof above the sanctum is Vedasara Vimanam. Goddess Komalavalli, Rama, Sita, and Hanuman, and Poigai Azhwar are housed in separate shrines. The lotus tank of the temple that lies outside the complex is believed to be the birthplace of Poigai Azhwar.

Temple Festivals

The annual Brahmotsavam remains a grand celebration of the temple. Also, the idols of the festival deity, Thirumazhisai Azhwar, and Kanikannan are taken in procession to Orikkai village for a short stay on Thai Magam during January-February to commemorate the Kanikannan legend. The Thiruvonam star day of Aippasi (October-November) when Poigai Azhwar was said to have been born, is also observed with piety.

Benefits of worshipping Yathothkari Perumal

This Perumal is believed to be very benevolent here, who obliged his devotees and did whatever they wanted him to do. Hence it is a belief that the Lord will listen to prayers and bless them.