Thiruvallikkeni Divya Desam - Parthasarathy Perumal Temple (Triplicane)

• Meditation: I meditate on Sri Parthasarathy Perumal and Sri Rukmini Thayar in Thiruvallikkeni Divya Desam.

• Greatness: Thiruvallikkeni is a Divya Desam. It is the 60th Divya Desam and is located in Thondai Nadu. Thiruvallikkeni is the ancient Vrindaranyam Kshetram or a holy forest filled with Tulasi (Vrinda) groves. This place had a beautiful pond filled with Alli flower creepers. It is a holy place where several sages have performed penance and got the darshan of the Lord. The temple tank is known as Kairaveni Pushkarini. The modern name of this place is Triplicane. The name Thiruvallikkeni is derived from Thiru Alli Keni in Tamil which means Divine (Thiru) Flower Creepers (Alli) growing on a Tank (Keni). The Lord here is known as Parthasarathy. Partha is Arjuna and Sarathy is Charioteer. This is the form of the Lord as the charioteer of Arjuna during the battle of Mahabharata.
- Perumal is in Standing posture facing East.
- Pratyaksham: Rukmini, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Balarama, King Sumathi, Thondaiman, Arjuna, Bhrigu Rishi, Markandeya Rishi, Atri Rishi, Jabali Rishi, Saptaromar
- Mangalasasanam: Peyalvar, Thirumazhisai Alvar, Thirumangai Alvar (12 Pasurams)
- Vimanam: Ananda Vimanam, Pranava Vimanam, Pushpaka Vimanam, Sesha Vimanam, Daivika Vimanam
- Pushkarini: Kairavini or Allikeni Pushkarini

• Puranic Events:

1. Sri Krishna & king Sumathi: King Sumathi prayed to Lord. Lord bestowed him darshan of Parthasarathy vigraha.
- Events: The main shrine of this temple is that of Parthasarathy Swamy who is also known as Venkatakrishnan. Parthasarathy is the Lord's form as a charioteer of Arjuna in the battle of Mahabharata. Venkata is the Lord's form in Venkatachala or Thirumala. According to a legend, king Sumathi prayed to the Lord of Venkatachala to give him darshan in the form of the charioteer of Arjuna. Lord Srinivasa instructed the king in dream to go to Vrindaranyam Kshetram where his wish will be fulfilled. During the same time sages Vyasa and his disciple Atreya were pondering over the evils of Kaliyuga. Vyasa instructed Atreya to go to Vrindaranyam Kshetram and perform penance for the good of the world. He gave Atreya an image (vigraha) of the Lord with Conch Shell (Panchajanyam) on the right hand and left hand pointing to his Lotus Feet for surrendering. When king Sumathi saw that vigraha he was filled with joy and understood that the Lord has given him darshan in the form mentioned in the Gita.
- Note: The Moolavar of Image of Lord Parthasarathy has his entire family (Devi Rukmini, Balarama, Satyaki, Pradyumna and Aniruddha). This is rare in Krishna temples. The Lord has a moustache and holds a sword. The face of the Utsavar Image of Lord Parthasarathy has a number of arrow marks (said to be those of Bhishma during the Mahabharata battle).

2. Devi Lakshmi & seven sages: Devi Lakshmi incarnated as Vedavalli, the adopted daughter of seven sages.
- Events: Once Devi Lakshmi left Vaikuntha after some minor difference with the Lord and came to Vrindaranyam Kshetra. She took the form of a beautiful girl child and laid down under a Sandalwood tree. During that time seven sages were performing penance in the Vrindaranyam Kshetram (Atri, Marichi, Markandeya, Sumati, Saptaromar and Jabali). While they were chanting the Vedas, they got the vision of the divine girl child, whom they later discovered under the Sandalwood tree. They took the girl child to their hermitage and named her Vedavalli, since she appeared in their vision while chanting the Vedas.

3. Lord Vishnu & Devi Lakshmi: Sri Ranganathar married Sri Vedavalli Thayar in this place.
- Events: When Vedavalli grew up and became a maiden, Lord Ranganathar descended from Vaikuntha and came to Vrindaranyam Kshetra. Vedavalli recognised him and called him by the name Maan-Nathar (my husband). Bhrigu Maharshi performed the divine marriage of Lord Ranganathar with Vedavalli Thayar and requested the Lord to permanently abide in that place.
- Note: This divine marriage is celebrated on Dwadasha Shukla Paksha during the Tamil month of Masi (during Feb - Mar). There are Images of Sri Ranganathar and Vedavalli Thayar in a separate shrine.

4. Sri Rama & Madhuman: Madhuman performed penance in this place and got the darshan of Sri Rama.
- Events: Sage Sasivadan was performing penance in Pandaram mountain in Pandya Nadu, when Indra sent an apsara by name Hylai to break his penance. The apsara succeeded (using her beautiful voice) and Sasivadan lived with her and had a son. The sage left the child in a den, but the child mysteriously survived by consuming drops of honey from a honey comb. The other sages discovered the child and named him Madhuman. Once sage Gargeya was illustrating the divine qualities of Sri Rama, and instructed Madhuman in dream to perform penance in Vrindaranyam Kshetram to get a vision of Sri Rama. After many years of penance near the Kairaveni Pushkarini, Madhuman had the vision of Sri Rama with his entire family. Madhuman requested the Lord to permanently abide in that place.
- Note: There are Images of Sri Rama with entire family (Devi Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna) in a separate shrine .

5. Lord Vishnu & sage Saptaromar: Sage Saptaromar performed penance in this place and got the darshan of the Lord as Gajendra Varadar.
- Events: Sage Saptaromar performed penance in the Vrindaranyam Kshetram to see the form of the Lord as Gajendra Varadar (the form in which the Lord appeared during the Gajendra Moksham event). The Lord appeared before the sage in that form near the Kairaveni Pushkarini.
- Note: There is an Image of Sri Gajendra Varadar in a separate shrine.

6. Lord Narasimha & sage Atri: Sage Atri performed penance in this place and got the darshan of the Lord as Narasimha.
- Events: Lord Narasimha appeared before sage Atri who was performing penance in Vrindaranyam Kshetram for attaining Moksha. The Lord fulfilled his wishes and told him to continue to stay in the Vrindaranyam Kshetram for blessing the devotees.
- Note: There is an Image of Sri Azhagiya Singar (peaceful form of Lord Narasimha) in a separate shrine.

• Deities:
- Parthasarathy Perumal and entire family (Moolavar Image): The Image of Sri Parthasarathy Perumal in Standing posture facing East. The Lord has his entire family (Devi Rukmini, Sri Balarama, Sri Satyaki, Sri Pradyumna and Sri Aniruddha) by his side. This is rare in Krishna temples. The Lord has a moustache and holds a sword.
- Parthasarathy Perumal (Utsavar Image): The face of the Utsavar Image of Sri Parthasarathy Perumal has a number of arrow marks on it. It is said to be the arrows of Bhishma during the Mahabharata battle.
- Ranganathar and Vedavalli Thayar: The Images of Sri Ranganatha Swamy and Sri Vedavalli Thayar.
- Rama with entire family: The Image of Sri Rama with his entire family (Devi Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna).
- Gajendra Varadar Vishnu: The Image of Lord Vishnu as Gajendra Varadar.
- Azhagiya Singar: The Image of Lord Narasimha as Sri Azhagiya Singar (peaceful form).

• Sacred Geography:
- Vrindaranyam Forest: Thiruvallikkeni is the ancient Vrindaranyam Kshetram or a holy forest filled with Tulasi (Vrinda) groves. This place had a beautiful pond filled with Alli flower creepers. In this place, several sages have performed penance and got the darshan of the Lord.
- Kairaveni Pushkarini: Pushkarini of the temple. It is said that the temple tank does not have any fish. This is attributed to sage Muthkalar who told the fishes to leave the tank who were creating distractions in his penance in Vrindaranyam Kshetra.

• Location: Thiruvallikkeni is located in modern Triplicane (within the heart of Chennai) in the Chennai district of Tamil Nadu. This is in Thondai Nadu. The temple can be visited from Chennai.

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