CHENNAI: The tiny village called Malayankulam has a small temple for Vishnu worshipped here as Veetrirunda Perumal. This temple was established by the third Pontiff (Jiyar), Sri Parankusha Yathindra Maha Desikan of the Ahobila Math, whose birthplace was Malayankulam and who took to sanyasa in 1473 A.D. His image is worshipped hear the main sanctum even today.
This was the time when the mighty Vijayanagara Empire had spread its jurisdiction over a vast part of south India. This Jiyar was also closely associated with the large and ancient Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram, which is one of the one hundred and eight Divya Desams (places sacred to God Vishnu, praised in the Tamil verses or Pasurams of the Azhvars who were the important devotees of Vishnu). The main deity of the Malayankulam temple was consecrated during Vishaka nakshatra (asterism) in the month of Kartikai (mid-November to mid-December) and hence, the Avatara Utsavam is celebrated annually on this nakshatram.
The temple faces east, sans gopuram, with only a small entranceway near which is a monolithic deepa-stambha mused in earlier times to light a lamp for illuminating the temple. The principal image in the central sanctum is Veetrirunda Perumal seated in Ardha Padmasana with one leg resting on the ground in front and the other leg bent at the knee and placed on the pitham (pedestal) on which He is seated.
The deity holds the Sankha and Chakra in the upper left and right hands respectively, while the lower right hand is in abhaya hasta (blessing devotees) and lower left hand is in ahvana hasta (beckoning worshippers). On either side of Perumal are Goddesses Sridevi (Lakshmi) and Bhudevi (Goddess of the Earth). The Utsava-murthi (processional image) is worshipped by the name Narayanan. The vimanam or the sanctum is known as Punyakoti Vimanam, similar to the vimanam of the famous Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram.
In the passage in front of the main sanctum are other images in worship such as Andal, Vishvaksena, Nammazhvar and the Srivaishnava Acharyas, Ramanujacharya and Vedanta Desika. Close to the principal shrine is a rare stone bas-relief sculpture of multi-armed Sudarsana (Chakrattazhvar), the personification of the discus (Chakra) of Vishnu, in a standing pose, flanked by consorts, Vijayavalli and Sudarsanavalli. The Kannadi Arai (room of mirrors) is in the front mandapa which is of modern construction. Nearby is another stone bas-relief panel of Rama’s Pattabhiseka (coronation). The sanctum for Goddess Lakshmi, enshrined as Kamalavalli Thayar, is close to the principal shrine.