Vedanarayana Temple

Getting there

• By road

  The temple is about 70 km from Tirupati, on the Chennai highway.

Why devotees come here

Vedanarayana Temple in Nagalapuram, Tirupati district, is one of the few temples in India where Vishnu appears as Matsya, the fish avatar. It is famous for Surya Pooja, when the evening sun's rays fall on the deity in the sanctum.

Legend says the Matsya avatar of Vishnu saved the four Vedas from Somakudu and returned them to Brahma. The temple shows Vishnu in this fish form, the first of the Dashavatara avatars. Few temples in India do so. On a few days each year, the evening sun's rays fall on the deity in the sanctum. The festival is called Surya Pooja Utsavam, and it is described as an astronomical marvel.

Nagalapuram, the temple town, was built in the time of Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire, in memory of his mother Nagamamba Devi. The temple had its golden time under Emperor Krishna Devaraya in the 16th century. The architecture follows the Vijayanagara style, with the idol facing west. The sanctum has Vedanarayana with his consorts Sridevi and Bhoodevi on either side.

During the five-day festival, the deities receive a morning Snapana Tirumanjanam, a celestial bath, arranged by TTD. A float festival, the Theppotsavam, is held for three days during the same celebrations.

Festivals

• Once a year, for five daysSurya Pooja Utsavam

  The sun's rays fall on the deity in the sanctum on three days, in the evening before sunset. Thousands of devotees come from the state and Tamil Nadu.

• Three days during Surya PoojaTheppotsavam

  A float festival held during the Surya Pooja days.

Tips for your visit

• Plan to reach the temple before sunset on the Surya Pooja days, because the rays come only in the evening.
• The sanctum faces west, which is why the setting sun can reach the deity on those days.
• Thousands of devotees come during the festival, so expect a crowded temple on those days.
• The deity is also called Matsya Narayana or Veda Narayana, so use those names when you search or ask for directions.

Questions people ask