Famous Temples in India

Religious Significance

Mothers Parvathi, Mahalakshmi and Saraswati came down to earth once to perform penance. Sages Athri, Brugu, Kashyapa, Kaundilya, Triorisheya, Bharadwaja and others helped them. After a while Lords Brahmma, Vishnu and Shiva came there to take the mothers back. The power of the penance of the Rishis was such that the Lords could not go near their consorts. They sent a beautiful Gandharva virgin near the sages. Sage Bharadwaja fell in love with her and had a son. Lord Maha Vishnu took the form of a hunter and brought up the boy and named him Parameswara Varman. He was a staunch Vishnu devotee since his infancy. Lord Vishnu taught him all the arts. By the time he was completing the courses, his life was coming to end. In order to extend his life to a long span, Lord reclined with his head on the northern side. Generally, it is believed that this would affect longevity of the person. When Yama the God of Death came to take the boy, he was shocked to see the Lord with His head towards north and understood that some thing bad or strange would happen.

Lord simply told Yama that He would move only if he ensures long life to His devotee. Yama had no choice. He simply obeyed and turned away assuring long life to the boy-Parameswara Varman. Boy Parameswaran asked the hunter-father who He was. Lord granted him His darshan. Parameswara Varman decided to build a temple with Lord’s three postures, standing, sitting and reclining. According to some historians that Parameswaran was the first of the Pallava dynasty. In his Mangalasasanam, Saint Tirumangai Azhwar mentions Parameswara Varman as the builder of Parameswara Vinnagaram – “Parameswara Varman Panindha Parameswara Vinnagaram Adhuve”. The place is also named after him. As Azhwar’s Mangalasasanam has the name of the King, the grace of Lord to him stands established. This temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon by Thirumangai Alvar in 10 hymns. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the Vaishnava canon.