Ulagalantha Perumal Temple

Getting there

• By air

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

• By train

  The city is connected to the rail network through Kanchipuram railway station.

• By road

  The temple is situated very near Kancheepuram Bus Stand.

Why devotees come here

Ulagalantha Perumal Temple stands in Big Kanchipuram, close to the Kamakshi Amman Temple. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples praised in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Its image of Vishnu is over 35 ft (11 m) tall.

Ulagalantha Perumal Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples praised in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, and the complex houses four Divya Desams on its own. Legend says Vamana, the dwarf form of Vishnu and one of his ten avatars, appeared here to quell the pride of the asura king Mahabali.

The temple is believed to have been built by the Pallavas, with later work by the medieval Cholas, the Vijayanagara kings and the Madurai Nayaks. The Kancheepuram district government page credits Jayam Konda Cholan instead. The earliest inscription is from 846 CE, in the reign of Nandivarman III. The historian Nagaswamy says the temple is the oldest in Kanchipuram, based on its inscriptions and location.

The temple has a three-tiered rajagopuram, the main tower, with seven kalasas. The image of Ulagalantha Perumal is over 35 ft (11 m) tall.

Festivals

• January to February, Tamil month of ThaiBrahmotsavam

  Brahmotsavam festival for Ulagalantha Perumal.

• March to April, Tamil month of ChittiraiChariot festival

  The most prominent festival of the year here.

• August to September, Tamil month of Avani, on Sravanam starVamana Jayanthi

  Celebrates Vamana, the avatar linked to the temple's legend.

Tips for your visit

• Four Divya Desams are housed in this one complex, so a visit covers more than one sacred site.
• The chariot festival in March to April is the most prominent event of the year here.

Questions people ask