Malayadipatti Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Malayadipatti Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located 45kms from Tiruchirapalli in a remote village in the Kulattur Taluk of District is the largely unknown North Facing Rock Cut Anantha Padmanabhaswamy cave temple in Malayadipatti, one that dates back around 1200 years to the late 8th Century AD / early 9th Century AD.

In centuries gone by, Malayadipatti was also referred to as Thiru Valattur Malai and was known for two rock cut temples – one dedicated to Shiva and the other to Vishnu- both hewn out of the same rock.

The 15 feet Moolavar is a beautifully carved image of Lord Anantha Padmanabha in a Sthala Shayana Posture lying on the serpent Adisesha and is similar to the one seen in Thiruvananthapuram Divya Desam. The five heads of the serpent are spread out like a canopy over the God’s head. While his right hand is hanging down in a posture of blessing the devotees, the Lord’s feet rest on a lotus. Performing poojas with Lotus flowers is a speciality at this temple. Above Anantha Padmanabhaswamy idol are interesting paintings on the ceiling.

Inside the sanctum are Pundareekaksha, in a standing posture, with the Gandharvas seen performing pooja on him, Malola Narasimha in a sitting posture, Vaikunta Nathan, with Sridevi and Bhoodevi, in a posture similar to the one seen at Vaikuntam and Chaturbhuja Hayagriva in a grand sitting posture.
On the wall of the sanctum are two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, who threatened to kill Brahma- but were slain in the process.

The two Dwarapalakas, Jaya and Vijaya, at the entrance are not conventional sculptures and are more in the form of portrait sculptures.

Legend

Legend has it that Diwakara Rishi, who in a fit of rage tried to disrupt the yagna of King Indradyumna, was cursed to lose his powers. He is believed to have undertaken penance here invoking the blessings of Lord Vishnu, who, pleased with the rishi’s sincerity, appeared as Anantha Padmanabha in the shayana posture and blessed him to get back his lost yogic powers and knowledge. The temple is an abhimana sthalam.

Festivals like Vaikunta Ekadashi and Shivaratri are celebrated grandly in the temple. Special pujas are dedicated to Lord Vishnu on Tiruvonam star days. As Perumal grants eye-boon to those suffering from impaired vision, he is praised as Kan (eye) Oli (vision) Vazhangum (giver) Perumal – Kan Oli Vazhangum Perumal.