Thiru allik kENi - Part 3 - Sannidhyam of the ThAyAr vEdavalli (and temple details)

From the Bhakti List Archives

• March 4, 1997


Thiru allik kENi - Part 3 - Sannidhyam of the ThAyAr vEdavalli (and temple
details)
This temple is situated very close to Madras triplicane beach.
One can reach her by sevral modes like plane, car train or bus.
There are several town buses plying in madras city to reach here
and there is also a terminus very close to the temple itslef.
Auot rikshaws and taxis are also very popular mode of travelling
within the city.

Moolavar:  vEnkata Krishnan appears with two hands as similar  to
Lord  Krishna  in his avatharam and appear with a huge  mushtache
that  conforms to his kula vazhakku or theorder of the (HIS) clan
as the chrioteer. No other Lord of the 108 DD has a mushtache !

thayar: rukmini piraati,

others  appearing  with  HIM: balarAman, saathyaki,  aniruththan,
pruthyumnan,

Facing: east Facing

Ursavar : pArtha sArathy

thaayar: vEdavalli

This is one of the greatest of all (to me atleast) the
kshEtrams in a sense that the last avathram (Srikrishna) of the
lord is present here in his true replica as moolavar). However
it is the thaayaar sannidhi that is very special to bhakthaas
seeking boons instantly.

Brigu maharishi was doing a severe penance
here in this brinda aarnyam. During this time Sri had a
"oodal" with the Lord Vishnu and appeared here as an
infant near to the rishi's cottage. Rishi Brigu
realized through his penance and identified that this
is the "GODDESS" that the vedam describe and hence
named her as "vedavalli". vEda vallith thaayar sanithi is the
most VARAP praSAAdhi of this temple as similar to boomi dEvi
thaayaar of thiruviNNagaram (oppiliappan kOil). Both these thaayars
were found in the thulasi vanams and brought up in these
thulasi vanams until they got married to the Lord. All the lords in these
temples only appeared and offered darshan. However these thaayars
came here and lived here in these thulasi vaNams. So it is derived
that the sannidhyam and daya for these thaayaars in offering
boon to the bhakthALs is enormous and instantaneous as compared
to all the perumaals in this kshEthram.


vimaaNam : aanantha vimaanam (note that thirumalai  has
anantha  nilaya  vimaanam  and  oppiliappan  koil   has
sudhdha  aanantha vimaanam.. Please note that  majority
of  kshEthrams  with Krishna as the  Lord  has  aanantha
vimaanam).  There  are 4 other vimaanam  here  in  this
kshEtrham  and they are
praNava vimaanam (similar to srirangam)
pushpa vimaanam (for Lord Rama)
sEsha vimaanam
daiveeka vimaanam.

The  main vimAnam itself has a special feature in  this
temple  that  is  very unique. ie This  temple  vimanam
itself appears similar to a gOpuram. There is one  more
temple in the 108 DD that has a vimAnam similar to this
construction  and  that  is  the  most  popular   thiru
naRaiyoor  or  known as "naachiyaar kOil" of  Srinivasa
perumal  . There are several kal vettu that appears  in
this kOil and it is notable that many more research can
be done by studying these kalvettus as they may provide
a vital link to the days of king sumathi and vyAsar.

Theerththam : kairaviNi theerththam or popularly  known
as  allik  kENi. It is also the itheeham that five  (5)
other    theerththams   are   surrouding   this   puNya
theerththam in aruvam. They are

1. indra theerththam
2. sOma theerththam
3. agni theerththam
4. meena theerththam
5. vishnu theerththam

Though this theerththam is very close to sea fish never
lives in this theerthtam. It is believed fish keep  out
of  this  theerththam as this theerththam is considered
very  holy and used for perumaal's thirumanchanam. This
theerththam  is also known as allik kulam as thirumangai
delivers  in his pasuram as allikEni (tank with alli flowers
a type of tulip flowers).

ie  this  tank is full of alli malar and  hence  it  is
named  as  allik  kEni.  In puRanic  period  mylai  and
thiruallikENi  are  considered  as  the   same   place.
Thirumangai  confirms  this in his  pasuram.  Currently
there  are atleast two circles between them.  In  mylai
there is a kEsava perumaal kOil. There is thiruk kiNaru
(or  a holy Well) in this temple of kEsava perumal kOil
where  pEy  azhwaar  was  born.  Thus  as  per  purAnic
identity  this kshEthram becomes the avathAra kshEthram
of  pEy  azhwaar.  I will deal the importance  of  this
azwar's pasurams and other aspects of this amsam of the
Lord in a separate part.
King  "thoNdai  maan"  who  did major  constructuions  at
thiruppathi also constructed the huge mandapam  infront
of  the  temple.  Thiru  mangai confirms  this  in  his
pAsuram "mannuthan pozhilum" as "thennaNn thoNdaiyar kOn seydhanNan".

1077:
mannuthaN pozhilum vaaviyum madhiLum
 maadamaa LigaiyummaN dabamum,
"thennaNnthoN daiyarkOn seydhanNan"mayilaith
 thiruvallik kENinNin Raanai,
kanninNan maada mangkaiyar thalaivan
 kaamaru seerkkali kanRi,
sonnason maalai patthudan vallaar
 sugamini dhaaLvarvaa NnulagE. (2)    2.3.10


Prathyaksham:
Arjunan, Sumathi Rajan,   Brigu Maharishi, saptha rOmar
maharishi,   aththiri  maharishi,  jaajali   maharishi,
maarkaNda  maharishi, In total saptha maharishis  or  7
rishis did penance here in this holy brinda AraNyam and
attained the blessings from the Lord.

Sri vEdavallith thaayaar samEtha Sri man naatha perumal
thirvadikaLE charaNam

Sampath Rengarajan