Thiru Mukkoodal Appan Venkatesa Perumal Temple –
Legends
Lord Venkatesa Perumal helping Kind Thondaiman in war:
According
to the legend, the king Thondaiman once started to Thirupathi to have darshan
of Lord Venkatesa Perumal. He then heard a divine voice telling him that it was
not the time to visit Thirupathi as a king from a neighbouring country was
nearing his kingdom to wage a war. The voice advised him to be with his son
during war time to save the country and later to visit Thirupathi.
On
hearing this Thondaiman prayed to Lord Venkatesa Perumal and the Lord blessed
him to win the battle and gifted him with his Sanku (Conch) & Chakra
(Wheel). Thondaiman successfully won the battle and on his way back both the
weapons Sanku and Chakra vanished. Later, the Lord directed Sri Ramanujar to
install Sanku & Chakra for him at this place. That’s how the deity here had
got Sanku & Chakra here.
Then the
king Thondaiman surrendered to Perumal at Thirupathi seeking ‘Moksha’. The Lord
directed him to come to Thirumukkudal to grant Moksha to him. The king visited
here to have darshan of the Lord. Till then, the Lord here was said to be in
‘Sayana Kolam’ (reclining posture like Ranganathar). When the king visited here
the Lord is said to have changed his posture and gave him darshan in standing
posture.
The king
Thondaiman, out of his excitement and bliss, embraced the Lord saying ‘Appaney
Venkatesa’ (அப்பனே வெங்கடேசா), means ‘Oh My Father Venkatesa!’ and from then the
Lord here came to be known as ‘Appan Venkatesa Perumal’. The king Thondaiman is
said to have built this temple initially for Lord Sri Venkatesa Perumal. The
same king is said to have built the temple at Thirupathi (Thirumalai) as well
as Thirumalai
Vaiyaavoor, which is called Southern
Thirupathi.
Lord Vishnu darshan to Brighu Rishi:
Lord
Srinivasa provided darshan, facing north, to Brighu Maha Rishi who undertook
penance here and hence he is seen in a standing posture facing Northern
Direction.
Divya Desam Connection:
While
this is not a Divya Desam, there are some interesting connections with
Tirupathi and Oppiliappan Divya Desams. One finds Tirupathi Lord’s Conch and
Chakra at this temple. Similar to Oppiliappan temple, Lord Srinivasa is said to
have provided darshan to Markandeya Rishi (as Ranganatha in his Sayana Kolam)
and to Bhoodevi as Kannan. Hence, Markandeya Rishi and Bhoo Devi are seen by
the side of Appan Venkatesan.
Equivalent to Kasi:
Having
bath at the confluence of the three rivers and undertaking Pitru Tharpanam on
the river bank is said to provide Puniyam equivalent to having bath in Kasi.