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{{Short description|Vishnu temple in Puducherry}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Varadaraja Perumal Temple
| image = Varadharajaperumal temple, Thirubuvanai (6).jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|11|55|39|N|79|38|51|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| native_name = Thirubuvanai Temple
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]
| district = [[Puducherry district|Puducherry]]
| location = Thirubuvanai Village, Pondicherry
| elevation_m =
| deity = {{Plainlist|
* Varadaraja Perumal ([[Vishnu]])
* Perundevi Thayar ([[Lakshmi]])
}}
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}

'''Varadaraja Perumal temple''' (also called '''Thirubuvanai Temple''' and '''Thodatri Perumal temple''') in the South Indian union territory of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]], is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It is located in [[Thirubuvanai]], a village, located {{convert|23|km|mi|abbr=on}}, in the outskirts of Puducherry. Constructed in the [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian style of architecture]], the temple is a storehouse of Chola architecture and believed to have been built by [[Parantaka I]] (907-950 CE). The temple has inscriptions from the time of [[Rajaraja Chola]] (985–1014 CE) indicating an educational institution operating in the temple.

A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple has a flat ''[[gopuram|rajagopuram]]'', the temple's gateway tower. The temple follows Vaikasana Agama tradition of worship and is active in worship practices. The temple is maintained and administered by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] as a protected monument.

==History==
[[File:Varadharajaperumal temple, Thirubuvanai (8).jpg|left|250px|thumb|Sculptures in the footsteps]]
This temple was built by [[Chola]] king [[Parantaka I]] (907-955 CE) and was called Setangi Vinnagar. An inscription dated to the 30th regnal year of [[Rajadhiraja I]] (c. 1048 CE), mentions teaching [[Rig Veda]], [[Yajur Veda]], Chandogasama, Talavakrasama, Apurva, Vajnasaneya, Bodhayaniya Sathashatandha Sutra and explanations of [[sastras]] and epics like ''[[Ramayana]]'' are also found in the temple.<ref>{{cite book|title=South Indian Shrines: Illustrated|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLSGFW1uZboC&dq=varadaraja+perumal+pondicherry&pg=PA182|page=182|last=Ayyar|first=P. V. Jagadisa|publisher=Asian Educational Services|year=1982|isbn=9788120601512}}</ref> There is also mention of the remuneration to the teachers and students in the form of paddy.<ref name=Madhavan>{{cite book|title=Vishnu temples of South India, Volume 4, Tamil Nadu|isbn=978-81-908445-3-6|first=Chithra|last=Madhavan|publisher=Alpha Land Published Pvt. Limited|year=2014|edition=1st|pages=71–76}}</ref> There are inscriptions in the temple from the period of [[Rajadhiraja Chola]] indicating recital of [[Tiruvaymoli]], the famous works of the [[Azhwar|Alvar]] saint [[Nammazhwar|Nammalvar]]. The regions changed hands from [[British Raj|British]] to the French colonial Empire during the 17th century. Most temples in the place were destroyed during the French invasion, but the temple was spared.<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>

==Architecture==
[[File:Varadharajaperumal temple, Thirubuvanai (19).jpg|left|300px|thumb|Main sanctum in the temple]]
It is located in Thirubuvanai, a village, located {{convert|23|km|mi|abbr=on}}, in the outskirts of Puducherry in the Puducherry - [[Villupuram]] highway.<ref>{{cite book|title=Census of India, 1981: Pondicherry - Volume 13, Parts 1-2|page=75|publisher=Controller of Publications|work=India. Directorate of Census Operations, Pondicherry}}</ref> Like the temples during the medieval Chola period, the temple has a flat gateway tower. The sanctum houses the image of Varadaraja Perumal in seated posture {{convert|5|ft|m|abbr=on}} is made of granite sporting four arms. Two of his arms hold the [[Panchajanya]] and the [[Sudarshana Chakra|Chakra]], while the other two sport Abayamudra and Kadahasta. The images of [[Sridevi]] and [[Bhumi (goddess)|Bhudevi]] are located on either of his side. The Ardha mandapa is guarded by two [[Dvarapala|Dvarapalas]] on either sides. There is a separate shrine of [[Andal]] in the second precinct, which also houses the festival image. The [[vimana]] of the temple is spherical and resembles the ones in Viralur Boomeswar temple and Kowkishewar temple at [[Kanchipuram]]. The four sides of the vimansa houses the image of devakostas in all four directions.<ref>{{cite book|title=Glimpses of Pondicherry|year=2005|publisher=Busy Bee Books|last1=P.|first1= Raja|first2= Rita Nath|last2= Keshari}}</ref> The temple has many legends sculpted on its walls, the notable being the legend of [[Rama]] and [[Krishna]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Krishna, The Butter Thief|page=85|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ncb_AwAAQBAJ&dq=tirubuvanai&pg=PA414|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2014|isbn=9781400855407|first=John Stratton |last=Hawley}}</ref> The Several scenes of [[Ramayana]] and [[Bhagavatha Purana|Srimad Bhagavatham]] are sculpted on the Adhidhtanam or the upper foundation of the [[Garbhagriha|Sanctum Sanctorum]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Rāmāyaṇa tradition in historical perspective|page=29|publisher=Pratibha Prakashan|year=2006|first=Dinesh Prasad |last=Saklani}}</ref> These Sculptures are very important as it shows that [[Ramayana]] was well Known in Ancient Tamil Nadu even Before the [[Ramavataram|Kamba Ramayanam]].<ref name="MSPPillai">{{cite book |last1=Pillai |first1=M S Purnalingam |title=A Primer of Tamil Literature |date=1904 |publisher=The Ananda Press |location=Madras, British India |url=https://archive.org/details/APrimerOfTamilLiterature |access-date=22 July 2019}}</ref><ref name="KZvelebil">{{cite book |last1=Zvelebil |first1=Kamil |title=The Smile of Murugan on Tamil Literature of South India |date=1973 |publisher=E J Brill |location=Leiden, The Netherlands |url=https://archive.org/details/TheSmileOfMuruganOnTamilLiteratureOfSouthIndia |access-date=22 July 2019}}</ref>

==Festival and religious importance==
{{Multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center
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|image1=Varadharajaperumal temple, Thirubuvanai (17).jpg
|image2=Varadharajaperumal temple, Thirubuvanai (18).jpg
|footer= Sculpted images on the walls
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The temple is maintained and administered by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] as a protected monument.<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Monuments and Sites:Puducherry Sub-circle|url=http://asichennai.gov.in/puducherry_sub_circle.html|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|year=2011|accessdate=19 November 2015}}</ref> Though it is an archaeological temple, it is active is worship practises and follows Vaikhanasa Agama. 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|Vaishnava]] tradition, of the Brahmin community. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: ''Ushathkalam'' at 7 a.m., ''Uchikalam'' at 12:00 p.m., ''Sayarakshai'' at 6:00 p.m., and ''Ardha Jamam'' at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''neivethanam'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for the presiding deity. During the worship, religious instructions in the ''[[Vedas]]'' (sacred text) are recited by priests. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.<ref name=Madhavan/> The temple has many festivals as indicated in the inscriptions in the temple. Tamil New year during the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] month of ''Chittirai'' (April - May), [[Vaikuntha Ekadashi]] during ''Margali'' (December - January), Sankaranthi during ''Thai'' (January - February) followed by Theerthavari in Pamba river are the major festivals celebrated in the temple.<ref name=Madhavan/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

{{commonscat|Varadharajaperumal temple, Thirubuvanai}}

[[Category:Archaeological sites in Pondicherry]]
[[Category:Vishnu temples]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Puducherry]]

Varadharajaperumal temple, Thirubuvanai - Revision history

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