Close to the famous temple-town of Srivilliputtur is a village called Thiruvannamalai. Atop a small hill here is a shrine for Vishnu known as the Srinivasa Perumal temple. A flight of about two hundred and fifty steps lead to the top. Enshrined in the sanctum is the tall image of Srinivasa Perumal, very similar to the deity in the well-known temple of Venkateshwara (Srinivasa) in Thirumala (Thirupati).
The Sthala Puranam or traditional story connected with the Thiruvannamalai temple mentions that Andal (in Srivilliputtur) invited God Srinivasa of Thirumala to her wedding and subsequently requested this deity to remain in Thiruvannamalai to bless devotees. Srinivasa Perumal is the family deity (kula deivam) of about eighteen villages around Thiruvannamalai.
There is no separate sanctum for Goddess Lakshmi in this temple. Enshrined in niches on the wall of the mandapa in front of the sanctum are images of Yoga Narasimha, Bala Narasimha, Venugopala, Thirumangai Azhvar and the Sri Vaishnava preceptors (Acharyas) Thirukkachi Nambi, Ramanujacharya and Kurattazhvan. Many festivals are celebrated here, among which one is unique. The processional image (utsava-murti) of Srinivasa Perumal, which is in worship in the Srivilliputtur temple, is taken in procession in the evening during every full-moon (pournami) to Thiruvannamalai. Abhisekam (thirumanjanam) is performed in a mandapam near the foot of the hill, following which the deity proceeds around the hill (girivalam) and is then taken back to Srivilliputtur.
The same utsavam is also done on the Saturdays of the Tamil month of Purattasi (mid-September to mid-October). Halfway up the hill is a temple for Krishna worshipped as Venugopala Svami. In fact, the locals refer to this hill as Gopalaswami malai. Enshrined here is a small image of four-armed Krishna flanked by Goddesses Rukmini and Satyabhama. The upper hands hold the Sankha and Chakra while the two lower hands hold the flute. Hanuman and Sudarsana Chakra are also in worship here.
Place of pilgrimage
Thiruvannamalai is called Then Thirupati (Thirupati of the south)
Code of worship
This temple follows the rules of the Vaikhanasa Agama
Name of Vimanam
Above the main sanctum is called Ananda Nilaya Vimanam
Chithra Madhavan
The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture
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