Vishwaroopa Lakshmi Narasimhar, Kattavakkam, Kanchipuram

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Vishwaroopa Lakshmi Narasimhar	Ambal / Thayar:	x
Deity:	Perumal	Historical name:
Vriksham:		Teertham:
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	to & to	Parikaram:
Temple group:		–
Sung by:		Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Wallajahbad	District:	Kanchipuram
Maps from (click):	Current location	Kanchipuram (19 km)	Tiruvallur (45 km)
	Chennai (67 km)	Vellore (97 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

While not an ancient temple, this temple is nonetheless fascinating. This temple was consecrated in 2007. Being a new temple, there is no sthala puranam here. However, the temple and the murtis are truly worthy of description.

The depiction of the Lord is unusual, as Vishwaroopa Lakshmi Narasimhar. The moolavar is a 16-foot tall Vishnu as Lakshmi Narasimhar, in a seated posture on a Kurma peetham, with Thayar seated on His left thigh. Adiseshan is seen with his seven hoods spread over the moolavar. Narasimhar’s lower hands are in abhaya hastam and varada hastam, while He holds the chakra in the upper right hand and, unusually, a bow and arrow (Kodandam) in His upper left hand. This last iconographic aspect is said to denote the coming of Vishnu as Rama, in the Rama avataram.

The Divya Mangala Moola Vigraham of Vishnu as above is said to be exactly as described in the Brahma Stuti of the Lakshmi Narasimha Dhyana Slokam – with a pleasant countenance and smiling face (adi-prasanna vadhanam), seated in a yogic posture with Thayar seated on His left lap and embraced by the Lord, Thayar holding a lotus flower in Her hand.

The following assignations are also given to various aspects of Narasimhar’s visage, due to which this temple is considered a Navagraham parihara sthalam:

Left eye – Chandran; Right eye – Suryan; Third eye – Sevvaai (Mars); Nose – Sukran (Venus); Lower lip – Budhan (Mercury); Upper lip – Guru (Jupiter); Right ear – Ketu; Left ear – Rahu; Tongue – Sani (Saturn).

Narasimhar is also seen with 12 teeth – it is regarded that these represent the 12 rasis, which encompass the 27 nakshatrams. He is also regarded as Aadirudra, and possesses a third eye on His forehead.

At the time of initial consecration of the temple, only the moolavar murti was there. Later, the garbhagriham, ardha mandapam, maha mandapam, vimanam, as well as shrines for other deities have been added. The vimanam is simple in itself, but features the various avatarams of Vishnu.