Devanathaswamy Temple, Thiruvanthipuram. Cuddalore district.

History

Devanathaswamy temple is one of the famous Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu. It also remains a Divyadesam, the sacred temple praised by the Azhwar saints in their devotional verses. It is located in the town of Thiruvanthipuram or Thiruvahinthipuram, near Cuddalore and is also known as the Thiruvanthipuram temple. Lord Vishnu is worshipped here as Devanathaswamy and his consort Lakshmi, as Hemabhujavalli. The temple is well known for Lord Hayagriva, the horse-faced incarnation of Vishnu, and remains the only historical temple in South India that has a shrine for Hayagriva. Devanathaswamy is believed to have appeared in this shrine for the sake of Adisesha, sage Markandeya, and Indra.

The Devanathaswamy temple is said to have been constructed by the medieval Cholas in the Dravidian architectural style and was patronized by the Pandya and Vijayanagar Kings. The main temple is built on the banks of river Kedilam, and an imposing granite wall surrounds the temple and its water bodies. The temple is east facing, but the temple tower or the Rajagopuram is on its western entrance. Lord Devanathaswamy is enshrined in the sanctum santorum and his consort Hemabhujavalli or Senkamalavalli Thayar in a separate shrine. There are also shrines for Lord Pallikonda Perumal, Goddess Andal, Lord Adi Kesava Perumal, and Lord Hanuman, here. The exclusive temple of Lord Hayagriva is located on top of a small hillock called Oushadagiri.

Stories of Thiruvanthipuram Temple:

The temple is said to be relatively old and is mentioned in several ancient texts, including the Skanda Purana, the Naradiya Purana, and the Brahmanda Purana. According to mythology, certain sages once traveled to Thiruparkadal, the ocean of milk, to worship Lord Vishnu. They continued to Vaikunta, the hallowed home of Vishnu because the Lord was not there. They discovered that the Lord could only be located close to the shoreline in this area, so they set off to look for him in all the locations close to the shore. Sage Markandeya and his daughter Bhudevi were conducting penance when the sages arrived. And there, according to legend, Lord Vishnu manifested in his amazing form, complete with conch shell, chakra, and weapons.

Temple Year : 1000-2000 Years Old

Temple Timing : Morning 6am to 12 pm and Evening 5pm to 8pm

Temple Address : 

Devanathaswamy Temple,
Thiruvanthipuram.
Cuddalore district.
Many buses are available from Cuddalore bus stand. 15 min from Cuddalore bus stand