https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Varadharaja_Perumal_Temple%2C_PuducherryVaradharaja Perumal Temple, Puducherry - Revision history2026-11-05T15:21:58ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Varadharaja_Perumal_Temple,_Puducherry&diff=543609&oldid=prevRsingh: Adding new location!2024-07-04T15:57:03Z<p>Adding new location!</p>
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{{Infobox temple<br />
| name = Varadharaja Perumal Perundevi Thayar Temple<br />
| image = Varadharajaperumal temple, Puducherry (1).jpg <br />
| map_type = India Puducherry <br />
| map_caption = Location in [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]<br />
| coordinates = {{coord|11|56|27|N|79|49|48|E|type:landmark_region:PY|display=inline,title}} <br />
| country = [[India]] | location = [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]<br />
| state = [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]<br />
| district = [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] <br />
| deity = Varadharaja Perumal ([[Vishnu]])<br />
Perundevi Thayar ([[Lakshmi]]) <br />
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]] }}<br />
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'''Varadaraja Perumal Perundevi Thayar Temple''' in [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]], is dedicated to the Hindu god [[Vishnu]] and Hindu goddess [[Lakshmi]]. It is located heritage town region of the city. Constructed in the [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian style of architecture]], the temple is a storehouse of Chola and Pandya architecture.<br />
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A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple has a five-tiered ''[[Gopuram|rajagopuram]]'', the temple's gateway tower. The temple is originally believed to have been built by [[Cholas]] during the 11th century CE, with later expansion by [[Pandyas]] during the 12th century CE. <br />
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The temple follows [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavite]] and [[Shaktism|Shaktite]] traditions of worship. Four daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the ten-day annual [[Brahmotsava|Brahmostavam]] during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of [[Tamil calendar|Chithrai]] (April - May) and five-day [[Pavithrotsavam|Pavitrotsavam]] during [[Tamil calendar|Avani]] (August - September) and 25-day Rama and Sita's marriage festival during Chithrai being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] as a religious monument.<br />
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==History==<br />
[[File:Varadharajaperumal temple, Puducherry (5).jpg|left|250px|thumb|The story of Tirupati Venkateshvara Padmavati Temple, Tirupati inside the temple.]]<br />
The temple is originally built by the [[Cholas]] from the 11th century CE and subsequently by the [[Pandyas]] from the 12th century CE. The regions are destroyed and reconstructed the British Colonial Empire and French Colonial Empire and Indian Subcontinental wars during the 17th century CE. All temples in the area are destroyed and reconstructed during the French and British and Indian Subcontinental wars.<ref name="dinamalar"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Imbibed In Faith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=284AAwAAQBAJ&dq=varadaraja+perumal+pondicherry&pg=PT135|last=Pal|first=Susant |page=284|publisher=Partridge Publishing|year=2014|isbn=9781482812596}}</ref> The temple housed the images of the [[Vedapureeswarar Temple, Puducherry|Vedapurishvarar Tripurasundari Temple]] during its destruction and reconstruction by the French and Indian Subcontinental Hindu and Christian religious riots during 1748 CE. The images of [[Rama]], [[Sita]], [[Hanuman]], [[Krishna|Navanithakrishna]], [[Krishna|Santhanakrishna]] and [[Krishna|Venugopalan]] were dug out from Vaithikupam, [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] near [[Muthialpet]], [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] in 1902 CE and subsequently housed in the temple. It is known that Vasanthamandapa was built by Hindus, Muslims, Christians of the city of Puducherry.<ref name="dinamalar"/><br />
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==Architecture==<br />
[[File:Varadharajaperumal temple, Puducherry (6).jpg|left |250px|thumb|The Entrance of the temple.]]<br />
The five-tiered ''[[gopuram|rajagopuram]]'', the temple's gateway tower, is {{convert|110|ft|m|abbr=on}} tall. The sanctum houses the image of [[Vishnu|Varadharaja]] in standing posture {{convert|5|ft|m|abbr=on}} is made of granite sporting four arms. Two of his arms hold [[Panchajanya]] and [[Sudarshana Chakra|Sudharshana Chakra]], while the other two have Abayamudra and Kadahasta. The images of [[Lakshmi|Perundevi]] and [[Bhumi (goddess)|Bhumi]] are located on either of his sides, which also has the festive image. The Ardhamandapa is guarded by two Dvarapalas on either sides. There is a separate shrine of Perundevi, which also houses the festival image. There is a mirror hall in the temple adjacent to the sanctum. There are paintings done in modern days around the walls of the precinct showing the 108 [[Divya Desam|Divya Desams]]. There are separate shrines for Vaishnava Gurus like [[Vedanta Desika]] and [[Manavala Mamunigal]]. The temple has 83 springs in the temple tanks and 12 bodies of water. The water in the temple tank is considered to be medicinal and devotees take a dip to cure themselves of common ailments.<ref name="dinamalar"/><br />
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==Festival and religious importance==<br />
[[File:Varadharajaperumal temple, Puducherry (4).jpg|250px|thumb|The ceiling of the Temple.]]<br />
The temple does not differentiate between [[Sri Vaishnavism|Thenkalai]] and [[Sri Vaishnavism|Vadakalai]] sects of [[Sri Vaishnavism]] and follows [[Pancharatra]] agamas. In modern times, the temple priests perform the ''[[puja (Hinduism)|puja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: ''Kalasanthi'' at 8:00&nbsp;a.m., ''Uchikalam'' at 12:00&nbsp;p.m., ''Sayarakshai'' at 5:00&nbsp;p.m., and ''Ardhajamam'' at 8:00&nbsp;p.m. Each ritual has three steps: ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''neivethanam'' (food offering), ''dipa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for both Varadaraja Perumal and Perundevi Thayar. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. The major festivals in the temple are the ten day annual Brahmostavam during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April - May) and five day Pavitrotsavam during Avani (August - September) and 25 day Rama and Sita's marriage festival during Chittirai.<ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web|title=Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=587|publisher=Dinamalar|access-date=31 May 2014|year=2014}}</ref> During the [[Rama Navami]] festival, the festive images of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman are taken around the streets of the temple in the temple chariot drawn by thousands of devotees.<br />
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[[Annaprashana]], a practise of making the children write their first alphabet in a plate of rice, is a ritual practised in the temple by devotees. The temple is maintained and administered by the [[Government of Puducherry]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Human chain planned in Pondy|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/human-chain-planned-in-pondy/article27881405.ece|date=18 November 2002|access-date=17 November 2015|work=[[The Hindu]]|location=Pondicherry }}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
{{Famous Vishnu temples}}<br />
{{commonscat|Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Pondicherry}}<br />
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Pondicherry]]<br />
[[Category:Vishnu temples]]<br />
[[Category:Hindu temples in Puducherry]]</div>Rsingh