Bairagi Madam Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple,
Sowcarpet, George Town – Legends
Many years ago, a Vishnu
devotee, Laldas, a sanyasi lived in this area. Every day he would commence his
work after meditating on and praying to the Lord of Tirupati. He also had the
habit of rendering service as far as he could, to those devotees who went on
pilgrimage along this way. For a very long time he nourished a wish
in his mind, to go to Tirupati and worship the Lord. But it could
not be fulfilled. In course of time this desire became a longing in
his mind. The Lord decided to grace him. One night the Lord appeared
in Laldas dream and asked him to erect a temple in the place where he
lived.
The happy sanyasi commenced
this work. But he had no money and so asked the people to help him
build the temple. None was prepared to help him. So, by
using his magical skill, he converted copper into gold. With the money by
selling that gold, he began building the temple. People now
understood his worth and then gave him money to build the
temple. Then an image like that of Tirupati Venkatachalapathy was made
and the temple was erected. The Lord manifested in the mind of Laldas and appeared
before him. And thus, gained the name ‘Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal’.