Thirumalai Vaiyavoor Prasanna Venkatesha Perumal Temple

Sri Prasanna Venkatesha Perumal temple is located on a hill at Thirumalai Vaiyavoor near Chengalpattu around 70 kms from Chennai- Tamilnadu.This hill has various names like Sri Vaikuntagiri, Dakshina Garudagiri, Dakshina Venkatagiri, Dakshina Sheshagiri, Varaha Kshethram and Ramanuja Yogagiri.

Multiple legends are associated with this temple.
1.During the battle between Sri Rama and Ravana, Lakshmana fainted on the battle field. Sri Rama sent Sri Hanuman to bring the Sanjeevi hill to cure Lakshmana. Sri Hanuman brought the Sanjeevi hill as told by Sri Rama. It is said that Sri Hanuman worshipped Sri Varaha Perumal and Sri Prasanna Venkatesha Perumal on this hill, on the way back to Lanka, carrying the Sanjeevi hill. As Sanjeevi hill should not be placed on ground, it is said that Sri Hanuman shifted the hill from his right hand to left hand to offer obeisance to the Gods here. As the holy Sanjeevi hill was not kept on ground here by Sri Hanuman, this place came to be known as Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor.

2.Once a demon king called Hiranyaakshan took the earth and kept under his custody, hiding it deep inside the ocean. Lord Vishnu took Varaha Avatar, killed the demon and brought back the earth to its original position. After this Sri Varaha Perumal wished to take abode on a hill to bless the world. He directed Sri Garuda to bring a hill from Vaikuntam itself. Sri Garuda Bhagavan brought a hill from Vaikuntam and placed it near the banks of Swarnamuki River, which was called Garudagiri (present Tirupathi ). While Sri Garuda carried the hill, a small part of it broke and fell near the banks of the river Palar and came to be known as Dakshina Garudagiri (Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor).

After placing the hill on the banks of river Swarnamukhi, Sri Garuda prayed God to see his Viswaroopa Darshanam. As wished by Sri Garuda, Lord Vishnu gave him Viswaroopa Darshan in the form of Sri Varaha Perumal here at Dakshina Garudagiri.

Once, Lord Vishnu told Sri Aadisheshan to take the form of a mountain on Garudagiri, for him to take abode and bless the world during Kaliyugam. Sri Aadhisheshan took form of a hill on Garudagiri and from then the place (Tirupathi) came to be known as Sheshagiri. Lord Vishnu took abode as Sri Srinivasa Perumal on Sheshagiri in the Thamizh month of Purattaasi, on the day of Dwadashi when ‘Thiruvonam’ star occurred.

Sri Aadhisheshan prayed Sri Srinivasa Perumal and told that he had a wish to serve as an umbrella to the Lord. Sri Srinivasa Perumal agreed and told that his wish would come true at Dakshina Garudagiri. In Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor Sri Aadhisheshan is seen above the deity Sri Srinivasa Perumal ’s head as an umbrella. Hence, this place came to be known as Dakshina Seshagiri.

There was an ancient king called Thondaimaan who was an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateshwara at Tirupathi. Once, Lord Venkateshwara helped the king with his Conch (Shanka) and Chakra to defeat the enemies. The king after defeating his enemies built a beautiful temple for the Lord at Tirupathi. As directed by the Lord, he also built a temple here at Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor. Lord Venkateshwara gave him darshan here on a chariot with a sceptre, the symbolic weapon held by kings. The foot marks of the horse and the marks of the chariot wheels are seen on some rocks of the hill here.

Once Lord Brahma went to Tirupathi and worshipped Lord Venkateshwara by lighting two lamps. He prayed the Lord that the lamps should glow non stop till Kaliyuga exists. The Lord granted his wish and said that he would give darshan to devotees in the form of Jyothi on all Thiruvonam days at Thirumalai Vaiyaavoor and till that Jyothi darshan continues, the lights lit by Lord Brahma would be alive. Lord Brahma then came here to this place and worshipped the Lord and got darshan in the form of Jyothi.

It is also said that Lord Rama after the battle with Ravana came here, bathed in Varaha Theertham and worshipped the Lord, on his way back to Ayodhya.

Sri Ramanuja had worshipped the Lord here and named the place ‘Vaikuntagiri’. He also had stayed in this place and meditated the Lord. Hence this place is also called as Ramanuja Yogagiri.