Famous Temples in India

Religious Significance

Legend 1 - Brahma’s Aswamedha Yagam and Goddess Sarswathi’s anger at being ignored by her husband who was busy with the fire ritual. Brahma needed Saraswathi, his wife, to be by his side to perform the ritual. So, he sent his son Vashistan to make Saraswathi return to Brahma. Saraswathi refused and Brahma started the Yagam by keeping Savithri and his other wives next to him. The Asuraas (demons) wanted to stop this fire-ritual and so went to Saraswathi and carried tales that made her angry. Saraswathi took the form of Vegavathi River and began to flow in a south direction and across the area where the Yagam was being performed so as to destroy it. Sriman Narayanan decided to stop Vegavathi River to protect the Yagam. So, he stopped the river’s flow by lying across the river on his serpent Adiseshan. This is why this Perumal is also called Vega Sethu. This became Vegavanai, then Vekkanai and finally became Vekka—Thiruvekka. When on Brahma’s request Lord Vishnu came in a tearing hurry to block River Vega Vathi (Saraswathi), Perumal on his return to the sanctum is said to have slept in the opposite direction.

Legend 2 - Thirumizhisai alwar was living in Kanchipuram, an old lady used to clean his house daily and do some small favours for him. He was very happy by her favours, and Alwar changed her from old lady to a beautiful woman. Wondering at her beauty, the king married the woman and she became the queen. On hearing this secret, the king was eager to meet Thirumizhisai Alwar. Kani Kannan was a great follower of the Thirumazhisai Alwar. So, the king called up Kani Kannan and told him that Thirumizhiasi Alwar should come and sing a song praising him. Kani Kannan immediately replied that, all the poems sung by Thirumizhisai Alwar belonged to the lord, Srivaikundanatha and it is impossible to come to the palace.

Due to this, king got angry and ordered Kani Kannan to get out of Kanchi. Then Kani kannan went to Thirumizhisai Alwar and explained all the happenings in the palace. Then, he decided to get out of the Kanchi. While they were going, he sang a song on the Yadhothakari Perumal saying that, as Kani Kannan was leaving Kanchipuram, he was also going along with him and Alwar asked the lord to get up from his Aadhisheshan(the holy snake), which is the bed for him, to roll it and quit from Kanchi. At that time, the lord also got from the Kanchi following Alwar and Kani Kannan. On hearing this, the king and all the people of the kanchi begged Kani Kannan to return back to the Kanchipuram. After this, Kani Kannan returned back to the Kanchipuram along with the Thirumizhisai Alwar. Alwar sang a song saying that Kani Kannan had returned back to Kanchi and he wanted Perumal to go and sleep in his Aadhiseshan back in the temple. On hearing this, Shriman Narayana comes back to Thiruvekka temple and gives his sayana seva. As the lord obeyed the words, he came to be known as "Sonna Vannam seitha perumal".