Veera Raghava Swami Temple (Thiruevvul), Thiruvallur –
The Temple
A tall
archway which can be seen from a distance greets the visitor to the temple. On
proceeding further down the road leading to the temple, the visitor sees an old
mandapam with tall monolithic granite pillars studded with carvings of various
deities like Krishna and Vira Hanuman and immediately in front, a newer mandapa
leading to the tall five-tier gopuram. The temple is under administration
of Ahobila Mutt. This
is an east facing temple with a 5-tiered Rajagopuram.
Presiding
Deity is called as Veeraraghava Swamy. The presiding deity is in a recumbent
position (called Bhujanga sayanam) facing east. Lord is in a reclining
form – on a five feet peeta, 15 feet long. His right hand blesses the sage
Salihotra and left hand in Gnana mudra preaches to Brahma. The Vimanam (pyramidal roof
over the sanctum) is called Vijayakoti Vimanam as it is a symbol of victory
against Madhu and Kaidapas asuras who were killed by Vishnu.
The
presiding deity is believed to cure diseases of his devotees and hence he is
also called as Vaithya Veeraraghavan. Abishekam to Lord is performed only with
perfumed oil. It is said that the devotees offer small metal sheets with a
specific organ of a human carved on it, as a request to god to cure the illness
with those offered organ. The diseases are believed to be cured if the devotees
visit the temple on Amavasya (no moon days). Mother is called as Kanakavalli /
Vasumathi. Her shrine is located parallel to the sanctum.
There
are shrines of Azhwars, Ranganatha and Hanuman located around the sanctum in the first precinct.
There is a legend that Lord Shiva got rid of his Brahmahatti Dosha after worshipping
Vishnu in the place. There is a small shrine for Shiva in this temple premises. On the road perpendicular
to the temple is a shrine for Anjaneya, while near the gopuram one can see a
sanctum for Sri Adi Van Sadagopan, the first Jeeyar of the Ahobila Math.
There
are separate shrines for Kanakavalli, Ganesha, Alwars, Gajalakshmi Thayar, Anantazhvan, Santhana
Gopalan, Garuda, Rama, Lakshmi Narayana, Vishvaksena, Venugopala, Nammazhwar, Chakrattazhwar, Andal, Vedanta Desika, Ramanuja, Thirukachi Nambi and
Lakshmi Narasimhar. Theertham of this temple is Hrutatapanasini. This spring is
considered more sacred than the holy Ganga and it is believed that it cleanses
devotees even from the very thinking of a sin. It is said that if taken bath in
this Pushkarani cures all kind of diseases. As usual, at the centre of the tank
there is a mandapam, where seasonal Festivals are performed.
This
tank is situated on the south side of the temple, covering approximately seven
acres. On the banks of the Pushkarini are two shrines, one for Navaneetha
Krishna and another for Bhu Varaha. The Brindavanams of five Jiyars (pontiffs)
of the Ahobilam Mutt are also near this tank. The Padhiri (Patali in Sanskrit)
tree or trumpet flower tree, with its many medicinal properties and religious
connections, has been traditionally held as the sacred tree or Sthala Vriksham
of this temple.
Lot of
Tamil inscriptions have been discovered in various parts of this temple testify
the temple’s antiquity. The earliest of these was found etched on a step
leading to the tank and belongs to the 9th century A.D. Pallava period. It
records an endowment for burning a sacred lamp and for feeding a person who
cleaned the temple. On one of the stones of the west wall of the maha mandapa
is an epigraph of Rajendra Chola I of the 11th century while another Chola
record, discovered on the south wall of the central shrine refers to a gift of
land for conducting festivals to the deity Pallirundarulina Emberuman of
Thiruvevuli.
A few
other fragmentary Chola inscriptions appear to record gift for repairs and for
a festival in the month of Vaikasi by a devotee. Several inscriptions of the
Vijayanagara era and later times too have also been found here. One of these,
found on the inner eastern wall of the Vahana Mandapa, dated 1630 A.D.,
belonging to the reign of Vira Venkata Raya II mentions that Vira Raghava
Sadagopa Jeeyar, who was the thirteenth pontiff of the Ahobila Math, who
presided over this institution from 1630 to 1675 gifted gold to this temple,
the interest from which was for celebrating certain festivals for Veeraraghava
Swami and Thayar.
Other
donations by the pontiffs of the Ahobila Math are also recorded in inscriptions
of the Vijayanagara epoch. It is interesting to note that the royal emblem of
the imperial house of Vijayanagar - that of a boar with a sword in front and
the sun and moon above- is clearly sculpted on one of the walls in this temple.
