AdikesavaPerumal Temple, Thiruvattaru

Introduction

Adikesava Perumal Temple is a well-known place of worship dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This is situated in the Thiruvattaru village near the Kerala border, in the Kanyakumari district of Southern Tamil Nadu. Adi Kesava Perumal is the principal deity here, and his consort is Goddess Maragathavalli Thayaar. Thiruvattaru is a Divya Desam, regarded a particularly sacred abode of Vishnu, whose Lord has been glorified in the compositions of the Azhwar saints. Though this temple is in Tamil Nadu state, this is counted among the 13 Malai Naatu Divyadesams, the sacred Vishnu shrines of Kerala; mainly because it was part of Travancore in Kerala, earlier. This Perumal looks similar to the famous Lord Padmanabhaswamy of Thiruvananthapuram but is considered even more ancient. The Lord is reclining here, and the temple, too, is surrounded by rivers, as in the case of the famous Srirangam. Hence, this temple is also claimed to be ‘The Srirangam of the Chera Kingdom.’ This had also remained the ‘Royal Temple’ of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom.

Temple Legends

There is an interesting mythological story about the temple and also how the place got its name. Once, demon Kesi was harassing the worlds, and Vishnu took on the demon for protecting the people. In the duel between the two, Vishnu overcame Kesi’s resistance, pushed him down, and sat on his stretched-out body. But Kesi’s wife pleaded with the holy river Ganges to save her husband’s life. Impressed with her devotion, the Ganges and river Thamiraparani came flooding to that place. But on the directive of the Lord, Bhoomadevi, the mother earth raised the ground level at that place so that the flood could not touch the Lord. Realizing the greatness of the Lord, both the rivers offered worship to him and began flowing so as to form a circle around that place as if they are submitting a garland to the Lord. As the waters flowed encircling the location, it came to be called as Vattaaru or Thiru Vattaru. And the Lord who slew demon Kesi became Adi Kesava. The temple can still be found surrounded by 3 rivers Kothai, Pahrali, and Thamirabarani on its 3 sides.

Besides, this shrine is said to be the one where saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who established the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, discovered the sacred text Brahma Samhita, whose manuscripts were lost.

Once, Kanyakumari was a part of the Travancore Kingdom. The Travancore king Marthanda Varma remained a staunch devotee of Thiruvattaru Adikesava Perumal and used to worship here before proceeding on any war campaign. It was King Dharma Raja, the nephew of Marthanda Varma, who shifted the capital from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari to Thiruvananthapuram.

The Architecture of Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattaru

The temple is basically with a Dravidian style structure, but with wooden roofs, pillars and doors. Lord Adi Kesava Perumal is reclining on the Adi Sesha serpent couch in the sanctum sanctorum facing West, and his massive image needs to be seen through 3 doors. His idol is made of jaggery, mustard, and lime powder, and is said to be the longest reclining Vishnu in the 108 Divya Desams. Goddess Maragathavalli Thayar is also in the sanctum, while Lord Shiva, too, is present near the Perumal. The temple enjoyed royal patronage and the presiding deity was once covered with gold sheets studded with diamonds and precious stones, presented by the kings. The temple is also well-known for its architecture, sculptures, and murals. A single stone hall 3 feet thick, known as the Otraikkal Mandapam, is considered an architectural marvel. Sculptures and carvings of Venugopala, Virabhadra, Oorthva Thandavam, Rathi and Manmatha, Indrajit, etc. are worth seeing here. A separate shrine for Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy is also there outside the temple. Legends associate this Thiruvattaru temple with the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple of Thiruvananthapuram. It is said in this regard that Lord Padmanabhaswamy is reclining in such a way that he is able to see Adikesava Perumal.

Temple Festivals

Vaikunta Ekadasi is a grand celebration, done in the month of Margazhi (December-January), while the annual Brahmotsavam is held in Aippasi (October-November), in this temple. It can be found that many of the festivals, worships, and rituals of this temple are somewhat similar to those of Thiruvananthapuram Padmanabhaswamy temple.

Benefits of worshipping Thiruvattaru Adikesava Perumal

It is believed that the devotees worshipping in this shrine are bestowed with higher knowledge, and the strength to overcome life’s challenge. It is also a belief that the Lord fulfills all honest wishes.