This shrine at OMR is 1,800 years old

Situated off the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) is an old temple for Vishnu worshipped as Srinivasa Perumal.

Situated off the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) is an old temple for Vishnu worshipped as Srinivasa Perumal.Though it is now a hub for computer software companies, the OMR area was once a part of the ancient region known as Tondaimandalam (comprising erstwhile North Arcot, South Arcot and Chengalpattu districts of Tamil Nadu and also parts of south Andhra Pradesh), ruled over by the Pallava dynasty. This area was later administered by the Cholas, Pandyas and Vijayanagara monarchs and also by Chieftains.

The temple faces east with the Rajagopuram consisting of three tiers is at the entrance. The presiding deity is Srinivasa Perumal with four hands. The upper right and left hands hold the discus (chakra) and conch (sankha) respectively, while the lower right hand is in abhaya hasta (blessing) and lower left hand is in kati hasta (resting on the waist). Perumal is flanked by Goddesses Sridevi and Bhudevi, all three images standing on tall lotus pedestals (padma-pitha). Other deities in worship include Kalinga Narthana Krishna and Bhakta Anjaneya.

The temple has a sixteen-pillared mandapa with well-chiseled sculptures including a rare carving of Balakrishna crawling forward with the mortar to which the baby was tied, through the narrow gap between two trees which Krishna knocked down. This episode is found in the Bhagavata Purana where two celestial beings called Nalakubara and Manigriva were cursed to be born as trees by Sage Narada and were released from this curse by Balakrishna.

The vimana above the main sanctum has stucco sculptures including the incarnations (avataras) of Vishnu, starting from the Matsya Avatara. A niche on outer wall of this sanctum has an image of Srinivasa Perumal, originally worshipped in the main sanctum many years ago. To the rear of the principal sanctum, in a row are three shrines- for Goddess Alarmelmangai Thayar, Kalinga Narthana Krishna and Andal.

Ancient area
OMR was part of ancient Tondaimandalam

Temple code
The rules of the Vaikhanasa Agama are followed in this temple

Goddess Lakshmi
This deity is worshipped as Alarmelmangai Thayar

Chithra Madhavan

cityexpresschn@gmail.com

The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture

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