CHENNAI: Nungambakkam is historically one of the most ancient parts of Chennai.
The famous Tiruvalangadu copper-plate inscription of the reign of Rajendra Chola I (1012-1044 CE), which provides details of a land-grant to the Siva temple at Thiruvalangadu (on the Chennai-Arakkonam route), mentions the name of this area as Nunkampakkam.
This epigraph enlists many Chola officials, one of whom was from Nunkampakkam. It was situated in the ancient territorial subdivision of Puliyur Nadu, which was part of Puliyur Kottam.
Nungambakkam is home to many shrines, one being the Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal temple. According to traditional accounts, when the Raja of Bommarajapuram was once suffering from a terrible stomachache, Vishnu appeared in his dream as Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal and blessed him. As a token of gratitude, the ruler constructed this temple here.
The main deity, flanked by Sridevi and Bhudevi, is worshipped as Vaikunthanatha Perumal. It is the processional image, called Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal, after whom the temple is named. A rare image in worship is that of Vikhanasa Acharya, the promulgator of the Vaikhanasa Agama, according to the codes of which this temple was built and rituals followed.
The spacious outer circumambulatory passage (prakaram) has a sanctum for goddess Padmavathi Thayar, the consort of Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal. Interestingly, in the adjacent Rama shrine, there are two images of Bhakta Hanuman, with palms pressed together (anjali hasta), guarding the entrance to the shrine in the place of the doorkeepers (dvarapalakas). Also situated in this prakara is a shrine for Andal.
This temple and the nearby Agastheesvarar (Siva) temple have a common tank where the float-festival (teppotsavam) of Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal is celebrated.
Name of principal deity
The main stone deity is Vaikunthanatha Perumal
Code of worship
The rules of the Vaikhanasa Agama are followed in this temple
Rare pose
An image of Vikhanasa Acharya is worshipped here
Google coordinates:
13.07 10° N, 80.2112° E
Chithra Madhavan
cityexpresschn@gmail.com
The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture