The town of Kumbakonam is situated 40 km northeast of Thanjavur and 60 km inland from the Tamil Nadu coast. It is bordered on the north by the River Kaveri and on the south by the Arasalar River. The Shri Vedanarayana Perumal Temple, a fascinating example of Brahma worship, is located there.
The most important thing to remember is that Bramha’s hidden fourth face—that of Gayathri Devi—is actually hers. To enable Bramha to perform the yagna, she completes his unfinished kandith face. For a sadhaka, Darshan of this Gayathri face receives Sakshathkar.
The temple is home to three sanctum sanctorums: the first is dedicated to Lord Brahmma, who is standing with His consorts, Mother Saraswathi and Mother Gayatri, asking for the blessings of Lord Vedanarayana Perumal; the second is dedicated to Lord Veda Narayanaperumal, who is accompanied by His consorts, Mothers Sridevi and Bhoodevi; and the third is dedicated to Lord Yoga Narasimha, who is accompanied by His two consorts. As a result, the devotee in the temple can receive the darshan of three Lords.
The temple offers Brahmma Sankalpa Puja, which is a prayer for advancement in trade and education. Before allowing children to enter schools, devotees perform special pujas for Mothers Saraswathi and Gayatri as well as Lord Brahmma. Thursdays are dedicated to special pujas. On Fridays, prayers are offered to Mother Mahalakshmi, and on Saturdays, prayers are offered to Perumal, asking for relief from debt. Devotees offer prayers to Lord Yoga Narasimha on their 60th, 70th, and 80th birthdays in hopes of receiving longevity.
Although this is referred to by some as a Visnu temple, it is actually a Brahma temple and has been for many years. All of the “short lists” of uncommon Brahma temples in India include Kumbakonam. It goes by several names, including the Bramman Temple, Brahnam Kovil, and Vedanarayana Perumal Temple.
The temple is situated on what is now known as Pattunoolkara (silk weaver) Street, next to the Mahamagha tank. Just the Vedanarayana Perumal, one of Kumbakonam’s 17 principal temples, is devoted to the worship of Brahmadeva; the other five are Saivite. Generally speaking, the temples in the heart of Kumbakonam date back to the Chola era, while the temples outside the city are more recent, having been built by the Naik kings. Sri Vedanarayana Perumal Temple is one example of the latter. The Cholas’ capital city was Kumbakonam in the seventh century.
There is a popular sloka addressed to Guru-Teacher seeking wisdom running
Gurur Brahmma Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheswarah
Guru Sakshath Param Brahmma Thasmai Sri Gurave Namah
encompassing the three Lords. Many legends surround Brahmma, claiming that he attempted to locate Lord Shiva’s head by taking the form of a swan but was unsuccessful. He claimed to have seen Shiva’s head in order to conceal his defeat. Additionally, in order to prevent confusion, Brahmma had one of his five heads removed, making him down to four, since Mother Parvathi had mistaken him for Shiva at the time. Consequently, Brahmma worship was abandoned. But in philosophy, the born should ultimately come to know the Creator. The Creator, Brahmma, is also the one who chants the Vedas with His four tongues to safeguard them. He enjoys the prominence that the scriptures give Him. The Brahmma temple in Kumbakonam is one of the few such temples devoted to Him. He bestows His consorts, Mothers Saraswathi and Gayatri, upon the devotees here.
With rare exceptions, it is a well-known fact that most people take great pride in their high level of education, and Lord Brahma was no different. He believed that only He, not Lord Shiva or Vishnu, was capable of creation. Aware of this, Lord Vishnu sent Brahmma a ghost, or Bhooda, who made Brahmma shudder when he saw it. He ran to Lord Vishnu, claiming that He was being threatened by a ghost that He had not created, and asked for help. According to Lord Vishnu, it was made by Him to humble him and make him forget the craft of creation.
Lord Vishnu, when asked for a cure, advised him to travel to Earth and carry out penance. Kumbakonam, the location that Brahmma selected, is stable even after the devastating floods in Pralaya. Brahmma received help from all the Devas in his penance. Satisfied with Brahmma’s penance, Lord Vishnu materialized before him, imparting knowledge of the Vedas and restoring Brahamma to his former position. Perumal evolved into Mother Vedavalli and Lord Veda Narayana Perumal. In order to enable Brahmma and the Devas to take their last bath following the penance, Perumal, using His club, created a river known as Hari Sollaru. Over time, this river underwent modifications and is now known as Arasalaru.
This temple is connected to several well-known pastimes involving Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma kept his accessories in the Kumbam, the pot that held the seeds of all living forms, while he was gathering the implements for his creations, chief among them the Amritham. After the Pralaya, when the material universe was destroyed by flood at the end of time, these Brahmadeva were put to use.This place was named Kumbhakonam because it was here that Bramha kept the pot, or Kumbha.
Brahma Temple Timings:
Bramha Temple timing open from 8.30 AM to 11.30 AM and 5.30 PM to 9.30 PM. To find out more about historical sites and temples, go to the Liturgical Temples official website. This website offers thoroughly investigated data that has been compiled from reputable sources.