Yoga Narasimhar Temple, Velachery – The Temple
This is a small temple with entrances from east and
west. The temple and the main deity face west and the Rajagopuram on the
western entrance is 3 tiered. Palipeedam and Dwajasthambam are immediately
after the Rajagopuram. The original temple had been damaged vastly and the
renovation work had been going on for several years which was completed in
2016.
Presiding Deity is called as Yoga Narasimhar and is facing
west. The shrine consists of the Sanctum, Arthamandapam, and Mahamandapam. The
main deity Yoga Narasimhar is a large idol and is in sitting posture facing
west. The moolavar is large at about 4 ft. in height. The Lord has four hands –
two carrying the Shangu and Chakra and two placed on his knees in a yogic
posture.
There
are several depictions of Narasimha around the outer walls of the sanctum
sanctorum. Prahaladha (upon whose prayers the lord took Narasimha Avatar to
kill his Asura father Hiranyakasipu) is seen in front of the main deity instead
of the usual Garuda. In the newly constructed outer walls of the sanctum
sanctorum, nine forms of Narasimha (Ahobila, Jwala, Malola, Krodha, Kaaranja,
Bhargava, Yoga, Chatravada and Paavana Narasimhas) can be seen.
In the
outer niches of the sanctum sanctorum are Matsya Avatar, Lakshmi Narasimha,
Lakshmi Varaha and Lakshmi Narayana. Vimana over the sanctum is called as Vedapuri
Vimanam. The Utsavar (processional deity) is
Bhaktavatsala Perumal flanked by Sridevi and Bhoodevi. But the place gets its
name from Lord Vedanarayana Perumal, who is enshrined in the Manimandapam of
the temple.
He is seen standing, facing west with the `Prayoga
Chakra' (the holy disc) ready to leave his hand to slay the evil-doer. This is
also a rare position. It is Pallava period bronze, which is older than the
original temple. Lord Devanatha in Chettypunnyam at Singaperumalkoil, near
Chengalpattu is also in a similar position. Velachery was also known as
Vedanarayanapuram in Tamil and Vedasreni in Sanskrit after this Lord.
Mother is called as Amirtha Bala Valli Thaayar and is facing east. She is housed in a separate shrine
in the main prakaram (precinct). There are shrines for Andal, Chakrathazhwar,
Kothandaramar, Anjaneya, Naagar, Bhaktavatsala Perumal with Sridevi and
Bhoodevi (processional deities), Ramanuja, Manavala Mamunigal and Azhwars in
the Temple premises. A banyan tree is found with Nagars on the right side of
the Dwajasthambam.
The
temple was rebuilt recently by the Prahaladha Kainkarya trust through public
money and Kumbabishekam was performed in 2016. The temple was rebuilt
completely with granite stone. This Yoga Narasimha Temple had inscriptions
right from the period of Raja Raja Chola to 12th century CE. It is believed to
have been built during the Chola period. The original temple’s base – Kumudham-
is installed separately, which has inscriptions.
