Nilathingal Thundam Perumal Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Chennai International Airport at Meenambakkam is the nearest domestic and international airport, about 2 hours' drive away.

• By train

  Trains run to Kanchipuram from Chennai Central and Arakkonam stations. Southern Railway suburban EMU services also extend to the town.

• By road

  Kanchipuram is 75 km from Chennai by road. Buses run from the town to Chennai, Bangalore, Pondicherry, Tirupathi and Thiruvannamalai.

Rules to know

• Only Saivite priests perform the rituals here, because the shrine sits inside a Shiva temple.

Why devotees come here

Nilathingal Thundam Perumal temple is a Vishnu shrine in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, and one of the 108 Divya Desams. It sits inside the Ekambareswarar Temple, a Shiva temple, and its deity stands facing west.

Nilathingal Thundam Perumal is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples mentioned in the Divya Prabandham. Vishnu is worshipped here as Nilathingal Thunda Perumal, and his consort Lakshmi as Nilathingal Thunda Nayagi. The shrine is housed inside the Ekambareswarar Temple, which is dedicated to Shiva. It is in Kanchipuram, a temple town and the headquarters of Kancheepuram district.

Legend says Shiva sent fire to test Parvati during her penance under a mango tree. Vishnu took the crescent moon from Shiva's head and reflected its rays, which cooled the tree and Parvati.

The host Ekambareswarar Temple was first built by the Pallavas. Its existing structure was later pulled down and rebuilt by the Chola kings. In the shrine, the deity stands facing west under the Purushasuktha Vimana. The 10-day Vaikunta Ekadasi festival in Margazhi is the most prominent one here.

Festivals

• Tamil month of Margazhi (December to January)Vaikunta Ekadasi

  A 10-day festival and the most prominent one celebrated at the temple.

Tips for your visit

• The Ekambareswarar Temple is the largest temple in Kanchipuram, so it is worth a visit on the same trip.
• The single mango tree in the outer court is the most sacred tree there, and childless couples who worship it are believed to be blessed with a child.

Questions people ask