CHENNAI: Kanchipuram and the surrounding areas are very historic places, and home to a number of important temples. Other than the fourteen Vishnu temples in Kanchipuram and the Vijayaraghava Perumal temple in nearby Thirupputkuzhi, which are in the list of 108 Divya Desams, extolled in the Tamil verses of the Azhwars or important devotees of Vishnu, there are many more Vishnu temples in nearby areas. One such, is the Vaikunthavasa Perumal temple in a village with an interesting name, Dusi.
The original name of Dusi was Shatakopa Puram as Sri Adi Van Shatakopan, the first preceptor of the Ahobila Muth stayed here for a few years. This village was once a Chaturvedimangalam, peopled by scholars well-versed in the Vedas. It is said that the name changed to Dusi as the marching of the armies of the British and French, which were stationed nearby in the 18th century during the Battle of Wandiwash (Vandavasi) raised a lot of dust (dusi in Tamil).
The presiding deity, Vaikunthavasa Perumal, also known as Prithvinathar in the east-facing main sanctum is seated, holding the Sankha and Chakra in the upper hands, with the lower right hand in abhaya hasta (offering protection to worshippers) and lower left hand in ahvana hasta (beckoning devotees).
Flanking Perumal are Goddess Sridevi and Bhudevi. Goddess Lakshmi, worshipped as Santhanavalli Thayar is in a small sanctum, near the main shrine. Images of Rama, Adikesava Perumal, Visvaksena (Senai Mudaliar), Nammazhvar, Tirumangai Azhvar and preceptors (Acharyas) like Ramanujacharya, Vedanta Desika and Adi Van Shatakopan are worshipped in the front mandapa.
Among the many festivals celebrated here, the most famous is the one on full-moon (Pournami) in the month of Chittirai (April-May) when the processional deity (utsava murti) from the famous Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram visits Dusi. Some of the other festivals that are celebrated here are Ekadasi, Navaratri and Sankranti.
Between the villages of Dusi and nearby Mamandur (home to the Lakshmi Narayana Perumal temple), is one of the largest irrigation lakes in Tamil Nadu called the Dusi-Mamandur tank. This historic water body, originally called Chitramegha Tataka, was constructed in the 7th century A.D. in the reign of Mahendravarman I Pallava, a famous king who ruled from Kanchipuram.
A few inscriptions have been discovered in the Dusi temple, the earliest of which belongs to the reign of Kampavarman, one of the last Pallava rulers of the 9th/10th century A.D. and mentions the Chitramegha tataka. An epigraph of Rajaraja Chola I (985-1014 A.D.), recording a donation has also been found here.
Original name
This village was once called Shatakopa Puram
Ancient name of deity
Vaikunthavasa Perumal is referred to as Veetrirunda Perumal in inscriptions
Dusi
Know your city
Dusi is located about 7 km from Kanchipuram on the route to Vandavasi
Coordinates: 12°77N 79°68E
Chithra Madhavan
cityexpresschn@gmail.com
The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture