Sundararaja Perumal Temple

Overview

Twenty kilometres from Thiruchirapalli, on the road to the temple town of Kumbakonam, is the town of Thiru Anbil. Located here is the temple of Sri Sundara Raja Perumal, Lord Vishnu lying in His shayana or reclining pose, on Ananta Sesha. Anbil is also known as Prema Puri, as anyone who sees the Lord here will fall in love with Him, who is named Vadivazhagiya Nambi or “the One with a beautifully shaped body.” Sundara Raja also means “the One who is king of all beauty.

About The Temple

The temple of Anbil covers an area of about an acre. It has a three tiered rajagopuram and an east facing sanctum sanctorum with one prakaram. The vimana of this temple is called taraka vimana and the tree of this temple is thazampoo (kewda in Hindi) or fragrant screw pine. The consort of Lord Sundara Raja is Azhagiyavalli Thayar (or the beautiful Lakshmi). Other important shrines in this temple are of Vishwaksena, a beautiful Deity of Yoga Narasimha, and Venugopala, Lord Lakshmi Narayana, Anjaneya, Garuda, Sri Ramanujacharya and the Alwars. Only in two divya desams Andal (an incarnation of Lakshmi Devi and one among the 12 Alwar saints) is seen in sitting posture - in Srirangam and Anbil. There are numerous inscriptions at this temple, which indicate political and religious history. There are inscriptions mentioning that this is the appearance place of Sri Valmiki Muni. It is believed that the Lord of Anbil blessed him before he relocated to North India. It is also recorded in history that the great Vaishnava king Sundara Chola (father of Raja Raja Chola) expanded the temple and he used to pray to Lord Sundara Raja before he went to battle. Every time he prayed here, he emerged victorious. Inscriptions also suggest that many kings at various times donated to this temple. They include the Vijayanagara kings, the Cholas kings and Hoysala kings. Yet another inscription says that the Deities of Lakshmana and Hanuman were installed by a devout brahmana.

About the Deity

The main Deity of this temple, Lord Sundara Raja, is seen in reclining posture, facing east, with His consorts, Sridevi and Bhoodevi, in sitting posture. The festival Deity or utsava vigraha, called Vadivazhagiya Nambi, is flanked by Sridevi and Bhoodevi in sitting posture. As we stand before the Lord, we find ourselves in the court of the King of All Beauty. We have been granted an audience with the Lord. He seems to give us His attention. And we can have most intimate exchanges with Him. Many times the blissful smile on the Lord’s face is enough to tell us we have been heard.

Legend and stories

There is an interesting episode in the Vedic scriptures about the divine appearance of this temple. Once, Sage Manduka Muni performed a severe penance under water. Sage Durvasa waited for him on the land for a long time. Since Sage Manduka did not turn up, Durvasa cursed Manduka Muni to become a frog. So Manduka came to this sacred place where the three rivers, Cauvery, Savitri, and Phalguni converge, and performed penance to please Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu appeared before him as “Sundara Raja” and whipped off the curse given by Sage Durvasa. Manduka Muni regained his original form. Thus, the temple was previously called Manduka Puri and the pond here is called Manduka Thirtham.

Prema Puri means “the abode of love.” In Tamil, Anbil itself means “abode of love.” Love is something we all need; it is meditated on, longed for and hankered after.It is a source of ecstasy as well as anguish. One who loves another deeply, sees everything in relation to the beloved and sees the beloved everywhere. So just imagine what happens when we fall in love with Lord Sundara Raja. We see everything in relation with Him. This unflinching love for the Lord, awakened by divine mercy, is the highest perfection. It is a transcendental achievement so great, that no material comforts and happiness can compare to the happiness it brings. One who tastes this pure love is completely satisfied. This realisation is Krishna’s gift to us, offered through the knowledge that the spiritual master imparts.

Significance

As in many divyadesams of Tamilnadu, Brahmotsava is celebrated in a grand manner in this temple. The Lord is carried ceremoniously in various vehicles or vahanas, like Garuda, Hanuman, Sesha, Mahapallaki and so on. The Vaikuntha Ekadashi festival, celebrated here over eleven days, is a grand event in this temple. There is another interesting festival in this temple. The Lord of Anbil travels 20 miles and reaches the Kollidam River in Srirangam on Masi month of Tamil in the asterism of Makah, and blesses the devotees. When the Lord of Anbil comes to Srirangam, Sri Ranganatha sends many of His valuable jewels to the Lord of Anbil. So on this day, devotees have darshana of the Lord of Anbil with all the valuable age- old jewellery of Sri Ranganatha. Devotees around Srirangam throng to the Kollidam River to have darshana of Lord Sundara Raja of Anbil. The Alwar saint Thirumazhisai Alwar has sung about this temple and has glorified the Lord in a unique form.

Once there was a conversation between Lord Brahma and Sage Valmiki about the beauty of Lord Vishnu’s shayana pose. This conversation led to a transcendental argument between the two. Lord Vishnu intervened and said, “In shayana pose I am beautiful in Thiru Anbil.” Such is the beauty of the Lord in Thiru Anbil that the very sight of His divine form will transport the devotees to transcendental ecstasy. The beauty found in this relative world pales before the beauty of Lord Sundara Raja’s perfect form. Lord Sundara Raja’s absolute nature is such that anything connected with him, be it His names, forms, words, pastimes or paraphernalia, also exhibit His superlative beauty. Furthermore by hearing and chanting about Sundara Raja in the company of devotees and by worshipping His deity form in this temple, we can accelerate our spiritual advancement. The unique combination of festivals, chanting of Vedic hymns and the beautiful verses of the Alwars’ songs and worshipping in this temple, will surely and effectively raise us to the platform of pure love for the Supreme Lord, enabling us to view Him face to face and enjoy the nectar of His moonlike beauty.

Accessibility

The Anbil Sundaraja Perumal temple can be accesse by..

Airport

The Trichy airport is the closest from the temple (20Kms)

Rail

Trichy/Tiruchirappalli is an important Railway junction of the Southern Railways.

Road

Trichy/Tiruchirappalli is well connected by road to Madurai, Chennai, Pondicherry and Thanjavur/Tanjore.