An old man came across a forest in search of food and shelter. He came across a sage’s hermitage. The sage, Salihotra, a kindly soul, offered the food he had kept apart for the “athithi” (sudden guest). When the elderly main said he was still hungry, the sage gave him his own share too. The visitor then wanted a place where he could sleep for the night safely. He asked in Tamil “Uraivatharku ivvul evvul?” (In this place, which is the spot to sleep?) To this, the sage replied, “ivvul”, meaning “here”.
He then provided raiment made of the bark of trees for protection from the cold.
When the visitor lay down, he revealed himself as none other than Lord Vishnu. He asked the sage what he wanted. Salihotra replied that he wanted for nothing but asked of the Lord that he should abide in the place and cure the ills of all those who came to worship him. So manifested Sri Vaidya Veeraraghavaswamy in Tiruvallur.
To this day, a checked red cloth covers the idol’s torso, recalling the blanked of bark given by the sage.
The Lord is lying of Adi Sesha with his right arm touching the head of Salihotra, who is in kneeling posture. From his navel springs the four-headed Brahma. The Lord’s left hand is touching Brahma imparting to him the Vedas. His feet are gold-plated and the right foot is bent to the side, indicating his inclination to help the devotee.
The temple is east-facing with a 5-tiered rajagopuram. There are inscriptions dating to the 2nd half of the 9th century A.D., the Pallava period. While most of the pillars and structures in the main temple are roughly hewn, there is a beautiful black stone mandapam called “Vellikizhamai mandapam” with intricate sculptures to the back of the temple. Every Friday, Kanakkavalli Thayar, the consort of the Lord, gives darshan in this mandapam. There are also shrines to Ganesha, Venugopala, Andal, Lakshmi Narasimha, Nammazhwar, Ramanuja and Vedanta Desika.
In ancient times, according to the Marandeya Puranam, this holy area was called Veeksharanyam. The temple vimanam is called Vijayakoti because Lord Vishnu vanquished the demons Madhukaidapars here and protected devotees.
There is a beautiful garden with fragrant Jasmine, Oleander and Basil.
The temple tank Hrittaapanaasini is of great importance as it is here that people who are unwell dissolve jiggery and pray to the lord for a cure. They also throw salt and pepper into the tank.
There is a legend attached to this tank. The story of how Dakshayini, the daughter of Daksha and the wife of Siva burnt herself after her father insulted her husband by not inviting him to a big yagna that he conducted, is well known. Siva in extreme grief and anger, opened his third eye and from it emerged Viradhadra, whom he ordered to kill Daksha and all those associated with the rite. Virabhadra carried out his directive. As it was Siva who had given the instruction, the sin of killing all those sages and others – Brahmahatti Dosham – fell on him. He went from place to place trying to get rid of it till an ethereal voice told him “Go to the tank called Hritthaapanasini and bathe there. You will be rid of your problems.”
Siva did so and was immediately cleansed. He stayed at the spot and prayed to Lord Veeraraghavaswamy. Even today, there is a small shrine to Siva – Theertheeswarar – on the north bank of the tank.
The temple is one of the 108 Vaishnava Divya Desams and has been sung of by Tirumazhisai and Tirumangai Azhwars. Ramalinga Adigalar, who was cured of a terrible and incessant stomach ache after he worshipped here, sang the Pottri Panchagam in praise of the Lord.
He then provided raiment made of the bark of trees for protection from the cold.
When the visitor lay down, he revealed himself as none other than Lord Vishnu. He asked the sage what he wanted. Salihotra replied that he wanted for nothing but asked of the Lord that he should abide in the place and cure the ills of all those who came to worship him. So manifested Sri Vaidya Veeraraghavaswamy in Tiruvallur.
To this day, a checked red cloth covers the idol’s torso, recalling the blanked of bark given by the sage.
The Lord is lying of Adi Sesha with his right arm touching the head of Salihotra, who is in kneeling posture. From his navel springs the four-headed Brahma. The Lord’s left hand is touching Brahma imparting to him the Vedas. His feet are gold-plated and the right foot is bent to the side, indicating his inclination to help the devotee.
The temple is east-facing with a 5-tiered rajagopuram. There are inscriptions dating to the 2nd half of the 9th century A.D., the Pallava period. While most of the pillars and structures in the main temple are roughly hewn, there is a beautiful black stone mandapam called “Vellikizhamai mandapam” with intricate sculptures to the back of the temple. Every Friday, Kanakkavalli Thayar, the consort of the Lord, gives darshan in this mandapam. There are also shrines to Ganesha, Venugopala, Andal, Lakshmi Narasimha, Nammazhwar, Ramanuja and Vedanta Desika.
In ancient times, according to the Marandeya Puranam, this holy area was called Veeksharanyam. The temple vimanam is called Vijayakoti because Lord Vishnu vanquished the demons Madhukaidapars here and protected devotees.
There is a beautiful garden with fragrant Jasmine, Oleander and Basil.
The temple tank Hrittaapanaasini is of great importance as it is here that people who are unwell dissolve jiggery and pray to the lord for a cure. They also throw salt and pepper into the tank.
There is a legend attached to this tank. The story of how Dakshayini, the daughter of Daksha and the wife of Siva burnt herself after her father insulted her husband by not inviting him to a big yagna that he conducted, is well known. Siva in extreme grief and anger, opened his third eye and from it emerged Viradhadra, whom he ordered to kill Daksha and all those associated with the rite. Virabhadra carried out his directive. As it was Siva who had given the instruction, the sin of killing all those sages and others – Brahmahatti Dosham – fell on him. He went from place to place trying to get rid of it till an ethereal voice told him “Go to the tank called Hritthaapanasini and bathe there. You will be rid of your problems.”
Siva did so and was immediately cleansed. He stayed at the spot and prayed to Lord Veeraraghavaswamy. Even today, there is a small shrine to Siva – Theertheeswarar – on the north bank of the tank.
The temple is one of the 108 Vaishnava Divya Desams and has been sung of by Tirumazhisai and Tirumangai Azhwars. Ramalinga Adigalar, who was cured of a terrible and incessant stomach ache after he worshipped here, sang the Pottri Panchagam in praise of the Lord.
