Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal Temple – The Raising of Athi Varadhar – July 2019!!
Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple is one of the most famous temples in Kanchipuram that was built by the kings of Vijayanagara Dynasty in the 12th Century. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu. The main God of this temple is Lord Vishnu and He is known by the name “Athi Varadaraja Perumal”. The main idol of the Lord Athi Varadhar is said to have been installed by Lord Brahmma Himself. Varadha means “Giver of Blessings or Boons”.
The icon of Sri Varadarajar also known as Athiyura. Athi means Fig. The original idol of Lord Vishnu is made of Fig Tree (Athi Maram). This idol that was carved out of the Athi Tree was the main deity in the Garbagraha of this temple until 16th Century. Later during the Muslim invasion, this main idol (Moolavar) is said to have been damaged. So, in order to preserve the deity and to avoid further damage to it, the idol is secretly kept in the silver casket and it was immersed in the temple tank called Anantha Theertham. This secret was known only to 2 of the Doddachariyars (temple priests) who also died soon after that.
Later, for nearly 40 long years, the temple had no Moorthy in the Grabhagraha and no pooja was being performed in the temple. So a decision was made to get a new Vigraha (idol) for the temple. The Moolavar that we see today in this temple at Kanchipuram was brought from Pazhaya Seevaram, about 20kms from Kanchipuram. It is made up of Granite and is called Devaraja Swami. In memory of this, the Utsava Moorthy of Lord Varadarajar is taken on a procession once a year, during the Tamil month of Thai (Jan-Feb) to Pazhaya Seevaram.
During the year 1699, a major famine struck the area around Kanchipuram and the temple tank was drained of its water and that is when the Lord Athi Varadhar revealed Himself to the people after 40 years.
After this, it was decided that this Vigraha (idol) has to be taken out from the temple tank once in 40 years for pooja for 48 Days and then immersed back in the Pushkarini for the next 40 years. Henceforth, Athi Varadhar gave His darshan to the devotees only once in 40 years and that too for a period of 48 days.
This Holy Event of “The Rising of Athi Varadhar” happened in the years 1739, 1779, 1819, 1859, 1939, 1979 and now in the Year 2019 during the month of July! Another interesting feature of this event is that the Lord Athi Varadaraja Perumal gives His darshan in the Standing Pose for the first 24 Days and in the Reclining pose for the next 24 days starting from 1 July 2019.
