- Vishnu
Arulmigu Madhavapperumal Tirukkoil
- Mylapore,Tamil Nadu
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Overview
The Madhava Perumal Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is situated in Mylapore in Chennai. The temple is built in the Dravidian style of architecture. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. He is worshipped in the form of Madhava Perumal. The Lord’s consort is Lakshmi as Amirtagadavalli. The temple is believed to be the birthplace of Peyazhwar, one of the twelve Alwar saints from the 6th to 9th Century AD.
About The Temple
The temple is built in Dravidian architecture and has two precincts. It has a rectangular plan and it is surrounded by walls that are 10 ft high. It has a five-tier gopuram. The presiding deity is housed in the sanctum. The idol is made of granite. The deity is in a seated posture. There are idols of Sridevi and Bhoomidevi on either side. The temple also has a small shrine for Lord Varaha, an avatar of Vishnu. It is behind the central shrine. Garuda’s shrine faces Madhava Perumal. The central shrine is approached through a worship hall and a narrow Ardha mandapam. The flagpost is located behind the shrine of Garuda, axial to the central shrine and the gateway tower. There are idols of the Alwars in the worship hall on both sides and the shrine of Amrithagadewari is located on the western side of the temple in the second precinct.
About The Deity
While the other two Azhwars lit the lamps with the help of earth, sea and sun (Poigaiyar) with love, eagerness and thought (Bhuthathar), Peyazhwar was able to see with the help of the lights lit by the other two, "Thiru" (Mahalakshmi) first and the Lord next. The temple of Madhava Perumal is said to be very ancient, though its history is traced back to only 800 years from now, according to available records. The Lord is hailed as Kalyana Madhavan as He married Goddess Amritavalli, who was born as Sage Bhrigu's daughter here.
Legend and Stories
As per Hindu legend, during the churning of the Ocean of milk, Vishnu instructed his consort Lakshmi to reach the hermitage of Sage Bhrigu. The sage was doing penance to attain a girl child and accepted the girl Lakshmi. The presiding deity, Madhava Perumal is believed to have married goddess Amrithavalli, the daughter of sage Bhrigu and thus attained the name Kalyana Perumal. Sage Bhrigu to test Lord Vishnu’s composure kicked the Lord on His chest. Mahalakshmi, angered by this, left the Lord. In order to find out a solution for this grave mistake, Sage Bhrigu did tapasya praying to have Mahalakshmi as his daughter. Mahalakshmi manifested as a kid in the theertham here. Since Lakshmi came out of the Milk Ocean that was churned to get ‘amutham’ (nectar), the sage named Her ‘Amirthavalli’ and brought her up. When she attained marriageable age, he requested Lord Vishnu to marry her. The Lord came here and married her and the Divine couple stayed here as requested by sage Bhrigu.
Festival
During the Magam day of the Tamil month Maasi, the festival deity of Madha Perumal is taken in a float in temple tank. During the subsequent days, the festival deities of Peyazhwar are taken in the float. The festival is one of the major festivals of the temple, which was not celebrated for a decade before 2011. It is believed that all the rivers converge in the tank during the auspicious day. The annual festival, Brahmostavam, of the temple is celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March - April).
Accessibility
The nearest airport to Arulmigu Madhavapperumal Tirukkoil is Chennai Meenambakkam. The nearest Railway Station to Arulmigu Madhavapperumal Tirukkoil is in Egmore or Mylapore. It is also well connected by road.
Temple Address
Arulmigu Madhavapperumal Tirukkoil,
Mylapore,
Chennai – 600 004.
Significance
Devotees visit this temple to seek fulfillment of the following:-
- To get good spouses
- Offspring
- To get rid of their sin
- Prosperity
Shlokas
Achutham Keyshavam Rama Narayanam Krishna Damodaram Vasudevam Harim Shridharam Madhavam Gopika Vallabham Janaki Nayakam Ramachandram Bhajey
Meaning -Oh Lord who cannot be perished, who also has names like Keshava, Rama, Damodara, Narayana, Sridhara, Madhava, Krishna, Ramachandra the beloved of Janaki, let me say your name regularly.
Vasudeva Sutham Devam Kamsa Chanoora Mardhanam Devaki Paramanandham Krishnam Vande Jagathgurum
Meaning -I bow to you O Krishna, the ultimate guru, Devaki and Vasudeva's son, and the destroyer of Kamsa and Chanur.
Adharam Madhuram Vadanam Madhuram Nayanam Madhuram Hasitam Madhuram Hridayam Madhuram Gamanam Madhuram Mathuraa Dhipate Rakhilam Madhuram
Meaning -Meaning - Sweet are Your lips, sweet is Your face, sweet are Your eyes, sweet is Your smile, sweet is Your heart, sweet is Your gait, O Lord of Mathura, everything about You is sweet.
Alokya Mathur Mukha Madarena Sthanyam Pibantham Saraseeruhaksham Sachinmayam Devam Anantha Roopam Balam Mukundam Manasa Smarami
Meaning -I think of this Balamukundan as the one who looks lovingly at his mother's face while taking milk from her, who has eyes similar to the red lotus, who is the embodiment of truth and intelligence and other forms.
Timings
The temple is open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The temple priests perform the pooja during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: Ushathkalam at 8 a.m., Kalasanthi at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 7:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Kudamudakoothan and his consort Amirtagadavalli.