CHENNAI: The Nityakalyana Perumal Temple in the village of Thiruvidanthai on East Coast Road, is one of the 108 Divya Desams or important Vishnu temples. The deity has been praised in the Tamil hymns of Thirumangai Azhvar. The temple inscriptions state that Thiruvidanthai was once called Thiruvidavandai and Thiruvadavandai.
The huge main idol of Adivaraha Perumal (Vishnu’s incarnation as a boar) is nearly eight feet high, standing on his right leg, with Goddess Akhilavalli Nachiyar (Bhu Devi) seated on his uplifted left thigh.
The processional image (utsava murti) called Nityakalyana Perumal is seen in a standing pose with Sri Devi and Bhu Devi on either side. He is always seen as a bridegroom with a dot on his left cheek just as bridegrooms have during a wedding ceremony.
According to the traditional lore, Vishnu married all the daughters of a sage who was his devotee in order to help him. He changed all the girls into one form of goddess known as Akhilavalli Nachiyar.
This temple has sanctums for Goddess Lakshmi worshipped here as Komalavalli Thayar, Andal and Goddess Ranganayaki Thayar. There are three sacred tanks situated near this temple called Kalyana Pushkarini, Varaha Pushkarini and Ranganatha Tirtham. The sacred tree (sthala vriksham) is the Punnai tree.
Many historical inscriptions are seen at this Vishnu temple. One donative epigraph dated 959 AD, belongs to the reign of the famous Rashtrakuta king Krishna III (939-967 AD) who ruled from Manyakheta, Karnataka. An inscription of the reign of Rajaraja Chola I records the involvement of fishermen for conducting a festival.
(The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture)