Tiruputkuzhi Vijayaraghav Perumal Temple

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Tiruputkuzhi is a small village near Kanchipuram, easily accessible via the Chennai-Bangalore Highway. The village is home to the Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In this temple, Lord Rama is worshipped as Vijayaraghava Perumal, appearing in a unique form alongside his two consorts.


While Krishna and Rama are the most celebrated incarnations of Vishnu, there are far fewer temples dedicated to Rama compared to Krishna. This temple stands out because Rama is depicted in a Vishnu-like form, flanked by Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi.

According to the temple’s legend, Jatayu, the eagle king, fought valiantly against Ravana to prevent the abduction of Sita. However, he was overpowered, lost his wings, and fell to the ground. As Rama searched for Sita, he found the wounded Jatayu at this very site. Before dying, Jatayu informed Rama about Sita’s abduction, and in gratitude, Rama performed the last rites for him, granting him salvation (moksha). Fulfilling Jatayu’s request, Rama revealed himself in his Vishnu form with Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi, which is why the temple’s main deity, Vijayaraghava Perumal, is enshrined in this form.

The main sanctum (Garbhagriha) houses a majestic idol of Vijayaraghava Perumal in a seated posture, with Sri Devi on his left and Bhoo Devi on his right—an unusual placement in Vishnu temples. It is believed that Sri Devi tilted her head away as she couldn’t bear the smell during Jatayu’s final rites.

The temple’s Goddess, Maragadavalli, has a separate shrine on the left of the sanctum, while Andal’s shrine is on the right—the opposite of the usual placement in South Indian Vishnu temples.

A shrine for Jatayu, a rarity in temples, is located near the temple tank outside the complex. The tank itself is believed to have been created by Rama’s arrow.


Near the  sanctum, there is a sub-shrine having Narasimha along with Alwars. 

Garuda is found in a small shrine facing the sanctum. 

The temple also houses the shrines for Mudaliyandan and Senai Mudali. A small image of Tumbikkai Alwar is also found in the niche on temple wall.

Happy travelling.



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Comments

  1. IndraniSaturday, February 05, 2011

    This is interesting and a great place to visit. I hope to visit some day.

    ReplyDelete

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