Thiru Anbil, or Sundararaja Perumal Temple (also called Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple), in Anbil, a village in the outskirts of

Tiruchirappalli Tiruchirappalli (), also known as Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with being the best livable and the cleanest city of T ...

in the South Indian state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

, is dedicated to the Hindu god

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the ''

Naalayira Divya Prabandham The Naalayira Divya Prabandham () is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by the 12 Alvars. It was compiled in its present form by Nāthamuni during the 9th–10th centuries. The work, an important liturgical compilation of the Tamil ...

'', the early medieval

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

canon of the

Alvar An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse grassland vegetation. Often flooded in the spring, and affected by drought in midsummer, alvars support a distinctive group of prairie ...

saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 ''

Divya Desams Divya Desam (, ) or Vaishnava Divya Desams are the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples that are mentioned in the works of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. By comparison, the Paadal Petra Sthalam are the 276 Shiva temples ...

'' dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Sundararajan and his consort

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...

as Sundaravalli. The temple is believed to have been built by the

Medieval Cholas The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...

of the late 8th century CE, with later contributions from Vijayanagara kings and

Madurai Nayaks The Madurai Nayakas were a Telugu dynasty * * * * * who ruled most of modern-day Tamil Nadu, India, with Madurai as their capital. The Madurai Nayaks had their origins in the Balija warrior clans of present-day Andhra Pradesh. * * * * * * ...

. The copper plate inscriptions from Anbil indicate generous contribution by the Chola kings to the temple. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and bodies of water. The ''

rajagopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' (Tamil: கோபுரம், Telugu: గోపురం, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Malayalam: ഗോപുരം) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South In ...

'', the temple's gateway tower, is east facing and has a 3-tier structure. The temple is located on the banks of river

Kollidam The Kollidam (referred to as Coleroon in Colonial English) is a river in southeastern India. The Kollidam is the northern distributary of the Kaveri River as it flows through the delta of Thanjavur. It splits from the main branch of the Kaveri ...

. Sundararajan is believed to have appeared to

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

(the Hindu god of creation) and sage Sutapa. Six daily rituals and two yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Tirthavari festival, celebrated during the

month of ''Maasi'' (February–March), is the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the

Government of Tamil Nadu The Government of Tamil Nadu () is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary. Under the Const ...

Legend

As per Hindu legend, the sage Suthaba was doing penance under water at this place. As such, he did not observe that the sage

Durvasa In Hindu scriptures, Durvasa (, ), also known as Durvasas (), is a legendary rishi (sage). He is the son of Anasuya and Atri. According to some Puranas, Durvasa is a partial avatar of Shiva, known for his short temper. Wherever he goes, he is ...

was waiting for him. The irritated Durvasa cursed Suthaba to become a frog (''Mendaka''). Suthaba requested Durvasa to relieve him of the curse. Durvasa explained to him that the curse was on account of the sin he had committed in his previous birth and the god

would free him. Suthaba, as a frog, continued his penance under water in the Mendaka Theertham in the temple and Vishnu appeared to him as Sundararajan. As per another legend, the Hindu god of creation

believed that he was the most handsome individual in the world as he created all the human beings. Vishnu learned this and cursed Brahma to be born as an earthly being. Brahma worshiped Vishnu for deliverance from the curse. Vishnu appeared as a handsome young man in front of him. Awed by the Vishnu's personality, Brahma inquired about him. Vishnu revealed his true form and conveyed to Brahma that physical appearance is temporary and one has to be good by heart.

History and administration

The temple is located on the Northern bank of the river

, at a distance of from

Trichy Tiruchirappalli (), also known as Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with being the best livable and the cleanest city of T ...

. King

Sundara Chola Parantaka II (r. 958 – 973 CE) was a Chola emperor. He is also known as Sundara Chola as he was considered an epitome of male beauty.''Early Chola temples:Parantaka I to Rajaraja I, A.D. 907-985'Journal of Indian museums, Volumes 14-16, pa ...

, the ruler of the area, was a devotee of the temple. Upon his war victories, he donated immense wealth to this temple. His prime minister Anirudha Brahmarayar is believed to be from Anbil, the village where the temple is located. The copper plates from the

Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...

period from Anbil indicate generous contribution from the

. The temple inscriptions indicate the legend of Vishnu appearing before sage

Valmiki Valmiki (; , ) was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic ''Ramayana'', based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as ''Ādi Kavi'', the first poet, author of ''Ramayana'', the first epic poe ...

at this place. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the

. An Executive officer appointed by the Board manages the temple along with

Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple The Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha (a form of Vishnu) and his consort Ranganayaki (a form of Lakshmi). The temple is located in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Tamil Architecture, Tamil Archit ...

, Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple at Thiruvellarai, Sri Alagiya Manavala Perumal Temple at

Woraiyur Uraiyur (also spelt Woraiyur) is a locality in Tiruchirapalli city in Tamil Nadu, India. Uraiyur was the ancient name of Tiruchirappalli City. Now, it has become one of the busiest areas in Trichy City. It was the capital of the early Chola ...

and Mariamman Temple at Anbil. Annadhanam scheme, which provides free food to devotees, is implemented in the temple by the Board. Under the scheme, free food is offered to hundred devotees every day in the temple and the expenditure is fully funded by the contributions from devotees.

Architecture

The main entrance of the temple faces the east and has a 3-tiered ''

'', the gateway tower. The main shrine has the image of the presiding deity Sundararaja Perumal (Vishnu) in reclining posture over his divine serpent

Adisesha Shesha (), also known by his epithets Sheshanaga () and Adishesha (), is a serpentine demigod ( naga) and king of the serpents (Nagaraja), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the p ...

. The images of his consorts

Sridevi Sridevi Kapoor (née Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan; 13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018), known mononymously as Sridevi, was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. She is regarded as one of ...

(Lakshmi) and

Bhudevi Bhumi (Sanskrit: भूमि, romanized: Bhūmi), also known as Bhudevi, Dharani, and Vasundhara, is a significant goddess in Hinduism, personifying the Earth. Her earliest form is reflected in the Vedic goddess Prithvi, though their roles and de ...

and Brahma are present in the sanctum. The festive image of Sundararajan - Vadivalagiya Nambi - is housed in the sanctum. The precinct around the sanctum houses the shrines of the twelve

Alvars The Alvars () are the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused '' bhakti'' (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and service. They are venerated in Vaishnavism, which regards Vishnu as the ...

Narasimha Narasimha (, , or , ), is the fourth avatara of the Hindu god Vishnu in the Satya Yuga. He incarnated as a part-lion, part-man and killed Hiranyakashipu, ended religious persecution and calamity on earth, and restored dharma. Narasimha has th ...

, Venugoplar,

Lakshmi Narasimha Lakshmi Narasimha () is an iconographical depiction of Narasimha, the fourth avatar of Vishnu, with his consort Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. It is one of the forms of Nava Narasimha. Legend In an alternate iteration of the legend of Na ...

(Lakshmi with Narasimha) and

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

. The structure of the roof over the sanctum is in the form of a

gopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Telugu: గోపురం, Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of th ...

, which is usually a feature in gateway tower. The front hall of the sanctum has a shrine for

Andal Andal (ISO 15919: Āṇḍāḷ), also known as Godhai, Nachiyar, and Godha Devi, is the only female Alvars, Alvar. (Orthodoxy posits the number of Alvars as ten, though there are other references that include Andal and Madhurakavi Alvar, ...

in standing posture and has her bronze image in seated posture.

Religious significance

The temple is revered in ''

'', the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Tirumalisai Alvar in two hymns. The temple is classified as a ''

Divya Desam Divya Desam (, ) or Vaishnava Divya Desams are the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples that are mentioned in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, works of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnavism, Sri Vaishnava tradition. By comparison, the Paad ...

'', one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. This temple is referred in a verse where the seven shrines featuring

in a reclining position - Tirukkudandai at

Kumbakonam Kumbakonam (formerly spelt as Coombaconum or Combaconum), or Kudanthai, is a city municipal corporation in the Thanjavur district in the States of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Chennai and is the hea ...

, Tiruvekkaa at

Kanchipuram Kanchipuram (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from ...

Thiruevvul Veeraraghava Swamy Temple (or Veeraraghavaswamy Temple) is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, located in Tiruvallur, Chennai Metropolitan City, an area and headquarters in Tiruvallur district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ...

Tiruvallur Tiruvallur is a Grade I municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of Coovum river about from downtown Chennai ( Madras) in the western part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). It is a satellite tow ...

, Srirangam Rangathaswamy Temple, Tiruppernagar, Anbil and Tirupparkadal are mentioned. The temple is thronged by devotees praying for marriage. Special ablution is also performed for Andal seeking their wishes.

Festival and religious practises

The temple priests perform the '' pooja'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day: ''Ushat-kalam'' at 7 a.m., ''Kalashanti'' at 8:00 a.m., ''Ucchi-kalam'' at 12:00 p.m., ''Sayarakshai'' at 6:00 p.m., ''Irandam kalam'' at 7:00 p.m. and ''Ardha Jamam'' at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''naivedyam'' (food offering) and ''dipa aradhanai'' (waving of lamps) for both Sundararajan and Sundaravalli. During the last step of worship, '' nadasvaram'' (pipe instrument) and ''

tavil A ''thavil'' (Tamil:தவில்) or ''tavil'' is a barrel-shaped percussion instrument from Tamil Nadu. It is also widely used in other South Indian states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana) as well as in the North and East of ...

'' (percussion instrument) are played, religious instructions in the ''

Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...

'' (sacred text) are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. The Tirthavari festival celebrated in the

Tamil month The Tamil calendar (தமிழ் நாட்காட்டி) is a sidereal solar calendar used by the Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It is also used in Puducherry, and by the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singap ...

of ''Maasi'' (February–March) and

Vaikuntha Ekadashi Vaikuntha Ekadashi () is a Hindu occasion and festival. It is primarily observed by Vaishnavas, who regard it to be a special ekadashi. It coincides with Mokshada Ekadashi or Putrada Ekadashi. It is observed on the 11th lunar day of the wax ...

celebrated during the Tamil month of ''Margazhi'' (December–January) are the major festivals celebrated in the temple.

References

External links

{{Famous Vishnu temples Divya Desams Hindu temples in Tiruchirappalli district