Vasantharaja of Vriddachalam constructed the historic arulmigu lakshmi narashima swamy temple, Parikkal, Vasantharaja, a monarch who had Vriddachalam as his capital, ruled over this region. The monarch desired to erect a shrine dedicated to Lord Narasimha. Persistently plagued by a demon named Parakalasura (rumored to be related to Hiranyakashipu), Vasantharaja performed intense penance here at the behest of his Guru. In response to his pleas, Lord Narasimha destroyed the Asura by appearing here.
Vasantharaja begged the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi to appease the Lord and bestow Darshan in a serene state as Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy after seeing only the furious form of Lord Narasimha. Goddess Kanakavalli Thaayar, moved by the King’s pleas, sat on the Lord’s knee, calmed His wrath, and bestowed blessings upon the devout king Vasantharaja, the Devas, and all the Rishis there.
Vasantharaja, ecstatic and delighted, asked that this location be called after the demon Parakalasura because, in a sense, it was because of this Asura that the King was able to see the Lord’s Divya Mangala Roopam. Thus, this location was given the name “Parikala’puram,” which eventually became “Parikkal.”
This is a well-known Narasimha Kshetra, thought to be older than a millennium or two. The image of Goddess Mahalakshmi hugging Lord Narasimha to allay His rage following Hiranyasamhara is a unique feature of this temple.
The Four Temples of Narasimha
One of the four Narasimha temples in this area is the Parikkal Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple. The other three are Singiri (12 km south of Pondicherry), Poovarasan Kuppam (15 km north of Panruti), and Anthili (near Thiru Kovilur).
History
This parikkal narasimhar temple has a long and rich past. Numerous inscriptions discovered on the exterior walls of this temple attest to this. These inscriptions are many hundred years old. Among them, the fish-shaped inscriptions stand out and can be deduced in one of two ways: One group who may have made significant contributions to this temple was the Pandya kings, whose emblem was a “Fish.” The other is the legend of Vasantharaja, who one night saw fish close by in his dreams—a sign that he would soon defeat the asura.
The contributions of Pallava ruler Koperichingan, Thiru Bhuvanam Chakravarthy Konerinmai Kondaan, and others become apparent while examining further inscriptions. The temple tank is credited to Raja Raja Chozhan I, and the Pallava and Nayak monarchs appear to have taken up the temple’s restoration.
Mughal attack:Although Vasantharaja constructed the initial temple, it is thought to have been destroyed at the time of the Mughal conquest. Records state that Veera Narasimha of Karnataka is credited with building the temple that is standing now.
DEITY: Moolavar– Lakshminarasimha Swamy
Thayar– Kanakvalli
Vimanam– Ashtakona Vimanam
Lord Hanuman:There are two Anjaneya idols in the same Sannidhi in this temple. One distinctive aspect of this temple is that, in contrast to other temples, Anjaneya receives the second right of Thirumanjanam following Lord Narasimha (in other temples, Thaayar receives the Thirumanjanam following the Lord).
Importance: Parikkal For numerous Madhwa households in Karnataka, Lord parikkal narasimhar is their Kula Deivam. When one offers prayers at this temple, all sufferings, including debts, enemies, diseases, etc., disappear. This temple has developed into a very potent Prarthana Sthalam. Following the lighting of a lamp with gingili oil, devotees in this area customarily spread Navadhanyam, write their desires, and pray.
FESTIVALS: This temple hosts festivals all year long.
Lord Narasimha travels in a procession to the Pennai River on the fifth day of Thai and spends the night there.
On the day of the full moon, Maasi Magam, the Lord, parades for ten kilometers to the Kedila River.
The Lord is brought to Orathur Village in a procession on Panguni Uthiram.
There is a special Thirumanjanam in the evening and a Sannidhi procession inside the temple on Swathi Nakshatram every month.
Situated off the Chennai-Trichi National Highway, approximately 3 km west of the Kedilam Cross Road and 25 km southwest of Villupuram.
By Road: 21 km after Villupuram, turn onto the Madras-Villupuram-Ulundurpet-Trichy GST National Highway. At Kedilam Junction, get off. Thirty share autos, costing Rs. 5 each person, run between Parikkal and Kedilam Junction. The car would cost between Rs. 30 and Rs. 40 from Kedilam Junction.
When driving from Madras or Villupuram, turn right (west) immediately before Kedilam Cross Road and cross the railroad tracks to arrive at the temple, which is roughly two kilometers from the railroad tracks.
Villupuram and Vriddachalam passenger trains halt at the Parikkal railway station.
Temples in Tamilnadu is popularly called as the Land of Temples that are scattered across the state. These artistic and beautiful temples are dedicated to Lord Vinayagar, Lord Shiva, Lord Murugan, Lord Vishnu, Lord Hanuman and Goddess Parvathy.
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