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{{Short description|Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox temple
| name = Adi Kesava temple
| image = Sriperumbudur-Sri-Adikesava-Perumal-Temple-4.JPG
| alt = Gateway tower of the temple
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in Tamil Nadu
| coordinates = {{coord|12|58|06|N|79|56|55|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| other_names =
| proper_name =

| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Kanchipuram district|Kanchipuram]]
| location = [[Sriperumbudur]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Adi Kesava<br>([[Vishnu]])
Yathirajanatha Valli<br>([[Lakshmi]])
| utsava_deity_God =
| utsava_deity_Godess=
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Poets =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
}}

'''Adi Kesava Temple''' (also called '''Ramanujar Temple''') is dedicated to [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god [[Vishnu]] located in [[Sriperumbudur]], [[Kanchipuram district]], in the South Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. Constructed in the [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian style of architecture]], [[Vishnu]], who is worshipped as Adi Kesava, and his consort [[Lakshmi]] as Ethiraja Nadhavalli. The temple is believed to be the birthplace of [[Ramanuja]], the exponent of [[Vishishtadvaita]] philosophy. The gold plated shrine in front of the hall of Ramanuja was built by the Maharaja of Mysore. It is considered one among the 108 [[Abhimana Kshethram]] of [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavate]] tradition.

The temple is open from 6:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m and has six daily rituals at various times of the day. Various festivals are celebrated in the temple, with the Chitirai Brahmotsavam, Masi Pooram festival during February - March and Panguni Uthiram festival during March - April being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].

==Legend==
[[Ramanuja]] (1017–1137 CE) was a Hindu theologian, philosopher, and [[scriptural]] [[exegete]], born in a [[Tamil people|Tamil]] family at Sriperumbudur.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sri Ramanuja's gift to the Lord|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/sri-ramanujas-gift-to-the-lord/article4233363.ece|newspaper=The Hindu|date=24 December 2012|location=India}}</ref> [[Vaishnavites|Vaishnavas]] see him as one of the most important [[acharya]]s (teacher) of their tradition, and as the leading expounder of [[Vishishtadvaita]], one of the classical interpretations of the [[Vedic philosophy]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Bartley |first=C. J. |title=The Theology of Rāmānuja: Realism and religion |publisher=Routledge Curzon |year=2002 |page=1}}</ref><ref name="carman24">{{cite book | last=Carman | first=John Braisted | title=The Theology of Rāmānuja: An essay in interreligious understanding | publisher=[[Yale University Press]] | place=[[New Haven]] and London | year=1974 |page=24}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Majesty and Meekness: A Comparative Study of Contrast and Harmony in the Concept of God |first=John B. |last=Carman |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |year=1994 |isbn=9780802806932 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DyVfKEmEK2QC |page=80}}</ref> Ramanuja grew up under the tutelage of Tirumalai Nambi, who was working in [[Tirumala Venkateswara Temple]]. Once, a king wanted to punish Ramanuja. Ramanuja's disciple, [[Koorathalvar]], helped Ramanuja escape and gave him a white cloth to wear. Ramanuja escaped, but the king punished Koorathalvar by blinding his eyes. Following the event, a festival is celebrated in the temple where Ramanuja appears in a white cloth for Koorathalvar. Once, a king took the idol of Narayanapuram to please his daughter. Ramanuja went to Delhi to recover the idol and the idol is believed to have fallen on his lap as a child by divine powers as a child. The Chella Pillai Utsavam is held every year commemorating the event.<ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web|title=Sri Adhi Kesavaperumal temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=1151|publisher=Dinamalar|access-date=5 November 2015}}</ref> As per another legend, a king tried to kill a tiger that was trying to attack a cow. In spite of his efforts, the cow was killed by the tiger and the king incurred the curse of the cow. To expiate himself from the sin, he did penance at his place. Adi Kesava is believed to have appeared for the king and relieved his curse.<ref name="dinamalar"/>

==Architecture==
[[File:Sriperumbudur-Sri-Adikesava-Perumal-Temple-5.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Chittirai Kulam - the [[Pushkarni|temple tank]]]]
The temple is built in [[Dravidian architecture]] occupies around {{convert|1.5|acre|ha|abbr=on}} and has two precincts. It is located in [[Sriperumbudur]], a suburb in [[Chennai]], the capital of the [[South India]]n state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. It has features from [[Chola art|Chola]] and [[Vijayanagara architecture|Vijayanagara]] architecture. There are inscriptions from the [[Vijayanagara Empire]] dating back to 1572 from the rule of [[Sriranga I]] (1572–1586 CE). There is another inscription from the period of [[Aliya Rama Raya]] (1542–1565) during 1556 indicating gifts of 36 villages to the temple. The [[Vimana (architectural feature)|vimana]] (roof of the sanctum) was gold plated in 1912 and is earliest South Indian temple to have the feature. The plate has the image of Sriramanuja inscribed on it. There is a copper plate recording the history of the gold plate in the temple.<ref name=A/> The temple has a rectangular plan surrounded by {{convert|10|ft|m|abbr=on}} high walls, pierced by a seven-tier ''[[gopuram]]'', the gateway tower. The presiding deity is housed in the sanctum and is an image made of granite seen in standing posture. The shrine of [[Garuda]] facing Adi Kesava, the [[vahana]] of Vishnu, is located axial to the central shrine. The central shrine is approached through a worship hall and a narrow Ardha [[mandapam]]. The flagpost is located behind the shrine of Garuda, axial to the central shrine and the gateway tower. There are images of [[Alvars]] in the worship hall on both sides and the shrine of Yathiraja Nadhavalli is located on in the second precinct. This is one of the temples where Lakshmi takes the name of a devotee.<ref name=A>{{cite book|title=Temples of South India|first=Ambujam |last=Anantharaman|pages=1–7|publisher=East West Books (Madras)|year=2006|isbn=978-81-88661-42-8}}</ref> The gold plated hall in front of the shrine of Ramanuja was endowed by the Maharaja of Mysore. There are no separate Sorgavasal, the sacred entrance way opened during the [[Vaikunta Ekadasi]] festival. There is a Bhoodakal hall where the festive images of the presiding deity and is consort are housed during the festival.<ref name="dinamalar"/> During 2017, a canal was dug from Sriperumbudur lake to the Madapalli (kitchen) of the temple. The temple tank, Narasimha Kulam was also revived during 2017.<ref>{{cite news|title=Birthplace getting a facelift|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1882372928|work=The Hindu|first=Prabhu|last=S.|date=31 March 2017|accessdate=18 June 2022|location=Chennai| id={{ProQuest|1882372928}} }}</ref>

==Worship practices and festivals==
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|image2=Sriperumbudur-Sri-Adikesava-Perumal-Temple-2.JPG
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The temple is open from 6:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The temple priests perform the ''[[puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavaite]] community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: ''Ushathkalam'' at 8 a.m., ''Kalasanthi'' at 10:00 a.m., ''Sayarakshai'' at 5:00 p.m. and ''Ardha Jamam'' at 7:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''neivethanam'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for both adi kesavan and his consort yathiraja natha valli. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.<ref name="dinamalar"/>

Various festivals are celebrated in the temple, with the Chitirai Brahmotsavam, Masi Pooram festival during February - March and Panguni Uthiram festival during March - April being the most prominent. During Chittirai Brahmotsavam, the temple car housing the festival deities of Adikesava and Yathiraja natha valli is drawn around the steerts of Sriperumbudur. The festival car was not operational for the 25 years preceding 2003 and was resumed from 2003. The festival is followed by Thiruavadara Utsavam of Ramanuja, the birthday festival of the saint.<ref name=Hindu>{{cite news|title=New temple car for Ramanuja|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/04/25/stories/2003042501120500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031102043234/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/04/25/stories/2003042501120500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 November 2003|date=25 April 2003|access-date=9 November 2015|last=T.A.|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|first=Srinivasan}}</ref> The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Famous Vishnu temples}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in Kanchipuram district]]
[[Category:Abhimana temples of Vishnu]]

Adikesava Perumal temple, Sriperumpudur - Revision history

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