the Ultimate Web on Indian Gods & Temples

 by Padmani,

Abodes of Vishnu

Lord Shiva and Mother Parvathi offered a grand dance performance in Kailash when they were in a happy mood. At the end, they wanted to know the winner. They approached Lord Brahmma. He was not able to decide. They sought the opinion of Lord Vishnu. He suggested a stage be built by divine sculptor Vishwakarma for the dance contest. The contest began. For every type of Thandavas (dancing) Shiva did, Mother Parvathi too did Her part thrillingly. They excelled each other. At the end, Lord Shiva simply lifted His right leg and kept it above His head which Parvathi could not. Lord Shiva was declared winner by Lord Vishnu. Lord Shiva stayed in this temple as Lord Nataraja and requested Perumal too to stay with Him. Lord Vishnu is here in His reclining posture. This is a land devotees seek for salvation. Kaveran the king of Kalinga had a daughter named Lopamudra married to Sage Agasthya. Sage changed Lopamudra as River Cauvery. Kaveran and his wife bathed in the river everyday and asked their daughter Lopamudra-Cauvery the means of attaining salvation. She advised them to go to Thillai Nagar and perform penance on Lord Vishnu to realize their wish and darshan of Lord. Pleased with their penance, Lord appeared with Mothers Sridevi and Bhoodevi and granted salvation to the couples. As a tradition, Lord Brahmma on the naval chord of Lord Vishnu is seen in a sitting form. Differing from this tradition, Brahmma is in a standing form in this temple. It is said that Brahmma chose to stand as a respect to Lord Vishnu who was to judge the winner in the dance competition taking place in the Chitra Sabha. Lord is looking at the sky as the place come under the Akash category. Divine serpent Adisesha, serving as the bed of Lord Vishnu, desired to have the Thandava Darshan of Lord Shiva. Lord Vishnu sent him to have his desire fulfilled. Adisesha made friends with Maharshi Vyakrapada and had the darshan of Lord Shiva. He also had the blessings of Lord Vishnu here and returned to the milk ocean to resume his job as bed of Perumal. He has his shrine in the prakara at the feet of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that prayer to Adisesha would bring the dual benefit of the blessings of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. A demon woman Dhilli by name prayed to Lord Perumal to be a forest herself full of trees and that Lord should grace the place with His presence. She became Thillai trees. Named after her, the place came to be known as Thillai Nagar. Mother Pundarikavalli graces from a separate shrine. The Padukas of Lord are in a shrine in the prakara ensuring salvation to the devotees. Garuda Baghwan holding the devotee elephant Gajendra, Lords Narasimha, Venugopala and Maharshi Patanjali, Sri Andal and Sri Anjaneya also grace the devotees from their shrines in the prakara.