CHENNAI: Pon Vilainda Kalathur (P.V.Kalathur), a small village near Chengalpattu, is home to many temples, one of which is for Lakshmi Narasimha. This east-facing temple has a small gopuram at the entrance with a four-pillar mandapa in front. The prakaram (enclosure) has the bali-pitham, dvajastambham and the sanctum for Garuda.
The main sanctum, known as Shatkona Vimanam, enshrines the presiding deity Vaikunthavasa Perumal of stone in a seated posture holding the Sankha (conch) and Chakra (discus) in the upper left and right hands respectively while the lower right hand is in abhaya hasta (blessing devotees) and lower left hand rests on the lap. Goddesses Lakshmi (Sridevi) and Bhudevi (Goddess of the Earth) are to His right and left respectively.
Like several other Vishnu temples in Tamil Nadu such as the Parthasarathi Svami temple in Thiruvallikeni (Triplicane) and the Sharngapani temple in Kumbakonam, this temple too takes its name from the processional image (utsava-murti) who is Lakshmi Narasimha. This image, with Vishnu’s face and not that of a lion, is in a standing posture, with Sridevi and Bhudevi on either side.
The reason for this can be understood from the traditional accounts here. It is well known that Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), the ancient sea-port, has a temple for Sthalasayana Perumal (Vishnu) which is one of the 108 Divya Desams (places which have been praised in the Tamil verses of the Azhvars or important devotees of Vishnu). This temple has a sanctum for God Lakshmi Narasimha.
At a time when Mamallapuram was in danger due to floods, devotees took the utsava-murti of Lakshmi Narasimha from the Sthalasayana Perumal temple to be housed in a safe place. In most shrines for Narasimha, the utsava-murti is Vishnu with consorts. When the devotees were wondering where to go, they saw a bird (Garuda) in the sky. Following it, they came to a village now called Pon Vilainda Kalathur and placed Lakshmi Narasimha in the temple there.
In course of time, this temple came to be named after the utsava-murti. Goddess Lakshmi in the Pon Vilainda Kalathur temple is worshipped as Ahobilavalli Thayar in a small sanctum near the central shrine. Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Hanuman, and some of the Azhvars and Srivaishnava Acharyas (preceptors) are also in worship near the main sanctum. The lintel above the door of the principal shrine has a beautiful stone image of Gaja Lakshmi.
It is said that the famous Srivaishnava preceptor Vedanta Desika, an ardent worshipper of God Hayagriva (Vishnu with the face of a horse, who is the presiding deity of Knowledge), stayed here for a night. The next day, he was told by the villagers that a horse has wandered through their paddy fields. When he went there, he saw that all of it had turned to gold. Therefore, the name Pon Vilanda Kalathur as pon in Tamil is gold and vilainda refers to the crops grown.
Many festivals are celebrated in this temple which follows the rules of the Vaikhanasa Agama. The annual festival (Brahmotsavam) in Panguni; Pavitrotsavam in Avani, Tamil New Year (Varshapirappu) in Chittirai; Rama Navami, also in Chittirai; and Krishna Jayanti in Avani are some of the celebrations here.