The Sri  Parthasarathy Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Triplicane/Tiruvallikeni, a neighborhood in Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, India. Dedicated to Lord Parthasarathy, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the temple holds great historical and religious significance. The main deity of the temple is Lord Parthasarathy, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu who played the role of charioteer (sarathi) to Arjuna during the epic Mahabharata. Lord has received arrwos himself shot by Bheeshma to protect Arjuna while managing his rath (chariot) in the battlefield. These scars are visible on the Lords face even now in this temple. The presiding deity is 9 ft tall and this is the only temple where Perumal appears with a moustache of a sarathi. In kuruksherta battle lord vowed that he will side with Pandavas but won’t be holding any weapons, hence we find lord with only counch (shanka) and no Sudharshana charka.

The temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil literature canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th to 9th centuries CE and is classified as among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu. The temple is glorified in the hymns of several Alvars, including Nammazhwar, Tirumangai Alvar, and Periyazhwar. According to legends, Sage Brugu performed penance here to have lord Vishnu as his son-in -law. He found a female child in a lotus flower in the pushkarini here. He adopted that girl child and named her Vedavalli. Upon attaining marriageable age, Lord Ranganatha came here to marry her. The wedding festival is celebrated on the temple on Dwadasi in the month of Feb/March.

The history of temple goes back to 6th century and it was originally built by the Pallavas  by king Narasimhavarman I.  The temple is one of the oldest structures in Chennai and in addition to the main shrine dedicated to Lord Parthasarathy, there are also shrines to the following:

• • • • Vedavalli Thayar, the consort of Lord Parthasarathy
      • Lord Ranganatha, an avatar of Vishnu
      • Lord Rama, an avatar of Vishnu
      • Lord Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu
      • Andal, a Tamil poet-saint and Alvar
      • Lord Hanuman, great devotee of Lord Rama
      • The Alvars, the twelve Tamil poet-saints who composed the Divya Prabandham
      • Ramanuja, a Vaishnava philosopher and theologian
      • Swami Manavala Mamunigal, a Vaishnava philosopher and theologian
      • Vedanthachariar, a Vaishnava philosopher and theologian

The temple subscribes to Vaikhanasa agama and follows Tenkalai tradition. There are separate entrances and dhvajastambhas for the Parthasarathy and Yoga Narasimha temples. The gopuram (towers) and mandapas (pillars) are decorated with elaborate carvings, a standard feature of South Indian Temple Architecture. There is a pushkarani in front of temple called Kairavani and five sacred teerthams are believed to surround the tank – Indra, Soma, Agni, Meena and Vishnu.

One of the popular stories behind the Parthasarathy Temple is related to the Tamil poet-saint Nammazhwar. Nammazhwar is considered to be one of the greatest Alvars, the twelve Tamil poet-saints who composed the Divya Prabandham, a collection of Tamil hymns praising Vishnu.

According to legend, Nammazhwar was born in a village near the Parthasarathy Temple. Nammazhwar was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. He spent his days singing hymns in praise of Lord Vishnu. One day, Nammazhwar was singing a hymn in the Parthasarathy Temple when he had a vision of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu was standing on his chariot, with Arjuna as his charioteer. Nammazhwar was so overwhelmed by the vision that he fainted. When Nammazhwar woke up, he found himself lying in front of the main shrine of the Parthasarathy Temple. Nammazhwar was overjoyed to have had a vision of Lord Vishnu. He continued to sing hymns in praise of Lord Vishnu at the Parthasarathy Temple for the rest of his life.

The Parthasarathy Temple is a sacred place for Hindus from all over India. The temple is a reminder of the divine guidance that Lord Krishna provided to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra War, and the love and devotion that Nammazhwar had for Lord Vishnu.

Go Back