The Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple is located in Thirukandiyur, a village outside of Thiruvayaru in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This temple honours the Hindu god Vishnu. The temple is built in the Dravidian style and is mentioned in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, an early mediaeval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th to the 9th centuries CE.

Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desam devoted to Vishnu, known as Hara Saabha Vimochana Perumal, and his consort Lakshmi, known as Kamalavalli Nachiyar. The temple is thought to have been built in the late 8th century CE by the Mediaeval Cholas, with later contributions from Vijayanagara kings and Madurai Nayaks. The temple is surrounded by a granite wall, which encloses all of its shrines and bodies of water. The temple’s gateway tower is a 5-tiered rajagopuram.

Story/Legend of the Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple

According to the Brahmanda Purana, Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, and Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, both had five heads at one time. Parvati, Shiva’s wife, once became confused and worshipped Brahma instead of her husband. Shiva became infuriated and severed one of Brahma’s heads; the head became glued to Shiva’s palm as a result of Brahma’s curse. To atone for his transgression, Shiva worshipped the god Vishnu as Bhikshatana made Thirukarambanur, where a portion of his sin was absolved.

Shiva was cleansed of his transgression after paying a visit to Vishnu at Thirukandiyur and taking a holy plunge in the temple tank, Kamala Pushkarani. Because Vishnu atoned for Shiva’s guilt (saabha) (also known as Hara), the temple is known as the Hara Saabha Vimochana Perumal Temple. Following the tragedy, the tank was dubbed Kapala Theertham (kapala means skull). Shiva was pleased, so he constructed the Hara Sabha Vimochana temple as well as a shrine for himself nearby. This temple is considered one of the 108 Divya Desams.

What is Divya Desams– A Divya Desam or Vaishnava Divya Desam is one of the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples recorded by the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava faith. 105 of the 108 temples are in India, one is in Nepal, and the final two are thought to be in space, in Tirupparkatal and Vaikuntham. They are distributed over the Indian states of Tamil Nadu (84), Kerala (11), Andhra Pradesh (2), Gujarat (1), Uttar Pradesh (4), and Uttarakhand (3). Muktinath, Saligramam is Nepal’s sole Divya Desam. The 12 Alvars respect the Divya Desams in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, a collection of 4,000 Tamil hymns.

History of Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple

The Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple is thought to have been built in the late 8th century CE by the Mediaeval Cholas, with later contributions from Vijayanagara kings and Madurai Nayaks. In modern times, the temple was renovated in 1984 under the supervision of seer Sri Thirukudanthai Vedanta Ramanuja Mahadesikan. Sri Rangaramanuja Mahadesikan, his successor, completed the refurbishment in 2003. Renovations included the gateway tower and the shrines of Hara Saabha Vimocahana Perumal and Kamalavalli Nachiyar. The temple’s oldest deities are those of Santana Gopala and Navneetha Krishna.

The architecture of Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple

The Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple is located in Thirukandiyur, a village between Thiruvayyaru and Thanjavur, between the Cauvery and Kudamaurutti rivers. The temple includes a three-tiered rajagopuram (gateway tower) and a granite wall surrounding it. The temple is 1 acre (0.0040 km2) in size and is positioned between the rivers Kudamurutti and Vennar. The temple is located in Thanjavur district, 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) from Thiruvayaru. The temple is divided into two precincts, with the main entrance facing east. The primary shrine houses a standing figure of Hara Saabha Vimochana Perumal.

The sanctum is reached by two halls: the Garuda Mandapam and the Maha Mandapam. The principal water body associated with the temple is Kapala Moksha Pushkarani, which is located on the west side of the temple, while the Mahabali Theertham is placed opposite it. The Kamalavalli Nachiyar temple is located in the first precinct. The shrines for Narasimha, Sudarshana, Andal, Alvars, and Vedanta Desika are located in the second precinct.

Facts about Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple

• Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple is said to have appeared to the Hindu gods Brahma and Shiva, as well as to King Mahabali. It is one of the few temples where the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) are worshipped simultaneously.
• The temple is classified as a Divya Desam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples mentioned in the book.
• The Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple is one of the few historical temples in India where the images of Hindu Trimurti, Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are housed on the same premises.
• It is one of two temples in Chola Nadu where the Trimurti may be seen, the other being Uttamar Kovil near Tiruchirapalli.
• The shrines of Brahma and his consort Saraswati were dilapidated over time.
• The temple is known by several names, including Kandiyur, Kandana Kshetram, and Pancha Kamala Kshetram, and it is claimed that visiting the temple relieves devotees of their Brahmahatti Dosha.
• The Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple is thought to be older than the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple and has existed since the Treta Yuga.

Famous Festivals In Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple

• Panguni Brahmmotsavam is celebrated during the Tamil month in Panguni (March–April).
• Aipasi Pavithra Utsavam in Aipasi (October–November)
• Diwali – Diwali is one of the most admired and auspicious festivals in the town.
• Chitra Poornima is also a significant occasion for celebration in the temple.
• Vaikuntha Ekadashi – Vaikuntha Ekadashi celebrated during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January) is the major festival celebrated in the temple.

How To reach Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple

By Air: Trichy has an international airport about 60 kilometres from the temple, from which visitors can take local transportation to the temple.

By Railway: Thanjavur is the nearest railway station, about 11 kilometres away, which is well connected from various parts of the state and outside.

By Roadways: The temple is connected well by road, and there is a bus stop near the temple. Other than buses, private taxis and autos, too, provide excellent connectivity.

Also Read – Jakath Rakshaka Perumal temple