Pavalavannam Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Chennai International Airport is the nearest airport, about 72 km from Kanchipuram.

• By train

  Kanchipuram railway station connects the town to the rail network.

• By road

  Kanchipuram is well connected by road from Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore, and Kancheepuram Bus Stand runs regular services to all three cities.

Why devotees come here

Pavalavannam Temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, is one of the 108 Divya Desams, Vishnu temples praised by the Alvar saints. Vishnu is worshipped here as Pavalavannar Perumal, with his consort Lakshmi as Pavalavalli. Its most prominent festival is Brahmotsavam, held in the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May to June).

Pavalavannam Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples praised in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the Alvar saints. Vishnu is worshipped here as Pavalavannar Perumal, and his consort Lakshmi as Pavalavalli. Legend says that in Treta Yuga Vishnu took the colour of pavalam, an emerald, and so came to be called Pavalavannar.

The temple is built in the Dravidian style. A granite wall surrounds it, enclosing all the shrines and two bodies of water. The roof over the sanctum is called the Vedasara Vimana and has five kalasams, along with stucco images of various legends.

The temple is believed to have been first built in the period of the Medieval Cholas. Today the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu maintains and administers it. It stands in Kanchipuram, about 72 km south-west of Chennai, on the banks of the Vegavathi River.

Festivals

• Vaikasi month (May to June)Brahmotsavam

  The most prominent festival at the temple.

• Panguni month (March to April)Pavitrotsavam

  Another festival the temple celebrates.

Tips for your visit

• Kanchipuram has many other Vishnu temples, so a visit can cover more than one shrine.
• Look up at the Vedasara Vimana over the sanctum, which has five kalasams.

Questions people ask