Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Hindu temple in Kanchipuram district, India
Varadharaja Perumal is a large temple complex in Kanchipuram district, marked by several stone towers and a series of walled courtyards. Inside, a pillared hall with carved reliefs leads through areas where scenes from the great epics are portrayed.
The site took its current form during the rule of the Chola dynasty in the 11th century, when new halls and towers were added. Later rulers from the Pandya and Vijayanagara kingdoms contributed additional structures and decorations.
The name comes from Varadharaja, a form of Vishnu worshipped here as the king who grants blessings. Devotees visit the shrine to pray before the images and take part in daily ceremonies that follow established ritual patterns.
The temple lies on the Kanchipuram–Chengalpattu road, about 5 km from Kanchipuram bus stand, reachable by city buses and autorickshaws. The eastern gopura, a nine-tiered tower 180 ft high, is now dilapidated, so approach and orientation follow the other entrances. The tank with the submerged wooden image is the Ananthasaras tank.
A wooden sculpture carved from fig wood rests underwater in a temple tank and is brought out for worship only once every 40 years for a few weeks. During this time, thousands of pilgrims arrive to see the rare image.
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