Parthasarathy Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Chennai International Airport serves the city and is one of the busiest in India.

• By train

  Thiruvallikeni MRTS station serves the neighbourhood on the Chennai Beach to Velachery elevated line.

• By road

  MTC bus termini include Ice House and Triplicane, the latter on Pycrofts Road.

Why devotees come here

Parthasarathy Temple stands in Triplicane, Chennai, and is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu. Krishna is worshipped here as Parthasarathy, the charioteer of Arjuna. It is the only Divya Desam among the 108 within Chennai city limits.

The area around the temple, Tiruvallikeni, came to be regarded as the Southern Vrindavana because of the temple's link with Krishna. The temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu. Five forms of Vishnu have icons inside: Yoga Narasimha, Rama, Gajendra Varadaraja, Ranganatha and Krishna as Parthasarathy. All offerings are made first to Narasimha, then to the other deities.

As per the Mahabharata, Krishna was the charioteer of Arjuna in the war with the Kauravas, and the temple honours him in that role. Legend says a Chola king named Sumati wanted to see Parthasarathy. He prayed at the Srinivasa temple in Tirupati and was directed to this temple.

The Pallavas built the original temple between the 6th and 8th century, and a Pallava king built the present temple in the eighth century. One of the oldest inscriptions found in Chennai is in this temple. The Cholas later expanded it, and the Vijayanagara kings added to it in the 15th century. The towers and pillared halls are carved all over, in the style common to South Indian temples.

Festivals

• Chitirai monthBrahmotsavam

  Ten days of festival for Sri Parthasarathy, held in the month that heralds the Tamil New Year.

• Maasi monthFloat festival

  Five days at the Kairavini Pushkarani tank, along with the Parthasarathy Davanotsavam.

• Margazhi monthVaikunta Ekadasi

  The day Sri Partha is restored to his customary splendour.

Tips for your visit

• On Vaikunta Ekadasi more than one hundred thousand devotees come, and the streets fill with people as early as 2 AM, so plan an early start.
• Search for Thiruvallikeni as well as Triplicane, since the area is known by both names.

Questions people ask