Thus, Vishnu - The Preserver from the holy Trinity, was able to save mankind and brought them into the new era, the beginning of Satya Yuga. Satyavarata came to be known as 'Manu', the first man and the seven sages who accompanied became the Saptarishis going on to repopulate the earth. Once upon a time this place is called Aadhi Ananthan Kadu or Aadhi Dhama puram and and Aadhi Ananthapuram.
The temple was consecreted by Parasurama and is admired by Veda vyasa in the sections which deal with temples in Padma Purana. As per the stone inscriptions which dates back to 770 KE the temple is extablished in the Treta yuga. The Adikeshava temple is also where Chaitanya Mahaprabha, founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava movement, discovered the lost manuscript of the Brahma Samhita.
Thiruvattar occupies an important position from the early period onwards. During the ninth century A D, this place was an important religious centre of Vishnavism. It was buffer state between Panday, Ay kings, Cholas and Venad Kings. The first ruler of Travancore, Marthanda Varma and his able minister Ramayyan Dalawa gave much importance to Thiruvattar temple. During the time of Marthanda Varma Nawab of Arcot invaded Thiruvattar, but with the help of God Adhikeasava of Thiruvattar ,the place Thiruvattar was safeguard from foreign invasion.
Kings who ruled Travancore,
Sri Adikesava Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvattaru. It is one of the 108 divya desams of Sri Vaishnavas and also one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Kanyakumari.
The temple is dedicated to Sri Adikesava Perumal, meaning 'Foremost Friend'. According to the legend, Lord Adikesava defeated the demon Kesi. The demon's wife prayed to the River Ganges and River Thamirabarani and created destruction. They came in spate to wash off the Lord. Mother Earth simply raised the ground level where Perumal was reclining. Both Rivers went round the Lord, prayed to Him and continued to flow round as two garlands. Thus, the formation of the rivers made in a circle came to be known as Thiruvattaru.
The temple was built in Dravidian style architecture with wooden pillars, doors and roofs. The presiding deity here is in reclining posture along with Goddess Maragathavalli Nachiar. Though there are similarities between the Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple of Thiruvananthapuram, the Thiruvattar temple is older. The gigantic idol of the Lord stands at 22 feet, bigger than Anantha Padmanabhaswamy. The presiding deity is made of 16,008 salagramam and 108 and above vedic herbs mixed, This mixed solution is called kadugu sakkarai yogam. The lord is lying on his snake couch and has to be viewed through three doors. Adikesava Perumal's feet is on the left(north) and head on the right(south) with (west facinng), it is the reverse in Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple. A Shiva lingam is situated near Lord Adikesava Perumal inside the sannidhi.
There are close to 50 inscriptions inside the temple in both Tamil and Sanskrit including those relating to Kulothunga Chola I and his contribution to this temple. In addition to the inscriptions, one also finds a number of stunning sculptures on the pillars similar to the ones in Krishnapuram and Srivaikuntam. Another remarkable feature is the Ottakkal mandapam outside the sanctum measuring 18 feet width and 3 feet height that has been built on a single stone in the 12th Century AD. Udaya Marthanda mandapam has exquisite wooden carvings and the highlight is the wedding procession of Lord Ganapathi. The corridors have 224 salabhanjikas and are unique.
Festivals of Adikesava Perumal Temple
Though there are several festivals associated with this temple, the most famous ones are the ones which are called Perunthamirthu,Kalapa Poojai. This takes place in the month of Thai is celebrated for about 12 + 1 days. The other most famous festival is in the month of Aippasi, Punguni the festival is widely known as Punguni festival and it is celebrated for about 10 + 10 days. Apart from all these big celebrations, there are some other smaller ones all through the year which sees a lot of visitors. Saturdays festival in the month of Puratassi. The festival of Thiruvonom in the month of Avani is worth mentioning. The most attractive of them all is the "Vaikuntha Ekadasi" festival during which Milk Kheer and other such types of delicious dishes are made as part of the Prasadam. This festival is known as "Swargavasal Ekadasi" and it usually takes place in the month of Markhazi.
Adikesava Perumal Temple Visitation Time
Since there are plenty of festivals and rituals going on through the year, visiting the temple anytime of the year is a real joy. Adikesava Perumal Temple is opened for visitors every day at 4.30 am. – 12.30 pm. and 5.00 pm. – 8.00 pm.
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