Varadaraja Perumal Temple

A renowned Vaishnavite Temple, Sri Varadraja Perumal Temple is one of the ancient shrines of Pondicherry constructed back in 490 AD. Venkatachalapathy is the chief deity revered here and behind his idol is Lord Vishnu’s avatar Lord Narasimha’s idol. Moreover, Lord Vishnu as Varadaraja Perumal and Goddess Lakshmi as Thayar avatars are also revered at the temple and the architecture is just stunning and remarkable to look at!

History of Varadaraja Perumal Temple

It is believed that the idol currently placed in the temple was found buried on earth. The 5ft tall idol depicts Lord Vishnu standing tall. It is extremely beautiful and his smile is ever so enchanting.

Legend has it that the temple was originally built for Lord Ram - another avatar of Lord Vishnu - and his wife Sita, his brother Lakshman, and Lord Hanuman whose statues were being brought via sea. This is corroborated by the findings of these idols in neighboring Vaithikuppam - a fishing hamlet - back in 1902.

When the Vedhapureeswarar temple was destroyed by the French troops on 8-9-1748, a devotee Anandaranga Pillai took pains to gather all the idols from the debris and hid them in the Varadaraja Perumal and Kalatheeswarar temples, according to a note in his diary. During the Muslim invasion, many idols were again kept in this temple for safekeeping. The antiquity of the temple can be ascertained by these reports.

Architecture of Varadaraja Perumal Temple

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, this temple is also famous for its Dravidian architectural patterns, front gopuram, and sculptured towers. The idol can be seen in standing form, majestically 5 feet tall.

The temple also houses a Sannidhi for a goddess called Perundevi Thayar. There is a mirror room in the temple. The Varadaraja Perumal temple houses assorted avatars of Lord Vishnu which are present in Divyadesams.

The idols of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, Lord Lakshmana, Lord Hanuman, Lord Navaneetha Krishna, Sri Santhanagopala, and Sri Venugopala are present in the temple. The temple also houses two great Vaishnava Acharyas, Nikamanda Mahadesikan and Manavalamamuni. This temple is also famous for the first rice feeding of children known as Annaprasana.