Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai: Story and Significance
Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple is in Thiruvellarai, a village
on the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Bhagavan
Vishnu. The temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the holy places of Vishnu
praised by the Alvar saints. Here Bhagavan is worshipped as Pundarikakshan, and
Mahalakshmi as Pankajavalli Thayar.
Meaning of the Name
The word Vellarai means white rock. The area has many white
rocks, so the place was called Thiru Vellarai in the old days. The prefix Thiru
is added in Tamil to show respect and holiness. Pundarikakshan means the one
with eyes like a lotus. He is also called Thamarai Kannan, which has the same
meaning in Tamil. Sengamalakannan is another name, meaning the one with eyes
like a red lotus.
The Story of Sibi Chakravarthy and the White Boar
According to the sthala purana, the temple was built by King
Sibi Chakravarthy. Once the king camped in this region with his soldiers. A
white boar crossed his path. He chased it, and the boar entered a hole and
disappeared. In that place the sage Markandeya was doing penance. The king told
him what had happened.
The sage asked the king to fill the hole with milk. When the
king did this, Bhagavan Vishnu appeared before them. Markandeya then advised
the king to bring 3700 Vaishnavas from the north and build a temple at this
place. The king did as told. But on the way, one of the Vaishnavas died, and
the king became very worried because the number was now short. Then Bhagavan
himself came in disguise as a Vaishnava named Pundarikakshan and asked to be
counted among the 3700. In this way the number was completed.
The Story of Mahalakshmi
Another belief says Mahalakshmi did penance at this place.
Bhagavan appeared before her as Sengamalakannan. Her name here is Pankajavalli,
which means the one born of the lotus.
Shiva and Brahma at Thiruvellarai
It is also believed that Shiva, in the form of
Neelivaneswarar, worshipped Pundarikakshan here. He did this to be free from
the sin of holding the severed head of Brahma. Bhagavan appeared before Shiva
and Brahma and accepted their prayers. Garuda, Bhoomadevi, Indra and Chandra
are also said to have received his grace here.
Importance and Symbolism
The story of the missing Vaishnava shows the Vaishnava
teaching that Bhagavan is easy to reach for his devotees. He does not stay far
away. He takes the humble form of a devotee to protect the work of his bhaktas.
The Bhagavad Gita says that Bhagavan takes birth whenever needed to protect
dharma. The Thiruvellarai story shows the same idea in a small way.
The lotus eyes also have meaning. In Vaishnava tradition,
the lotus stands for purity and for the divine glance of Bhagavan, which
removes the sins of those who surrender to him. The white rock and the white
boar remind us of purity. The number 3700 Vaishnavas is also remembered as the
ancestors of the families who did seva in this temple.
Shiva and Brahma worshipping Vishnu here shows that even the
great devas seek his grace to be free from their faults. It is also a good
example of the close relation between Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions in Tamil
Nadu.
The Temple
The temple is built in Dravidian style. It is praised in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the Tamil collection of the Alvars from the 6th to 9th centuries CE. Periyalvar and Thirumangai Alvar are among those who sang about this Divya Desam. The temple is also known for its old stone work and its large tank.
Thiruvellarai is a place where the history of Sibi Chakravarthy, the sage Markandeya and the grace of Bhagavan come together. The temple reminds devotees that Bhagavan stays close to those who serve him with a sincere heart.