Abhimana Kshethram

Sri Vidhya Rajagopalaswamy temple located in Mannargudi, is the first among the other Abhimana Kshethrams.

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Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus. From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head bowed, legs crossed and hands folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of worship placed before the lotus-seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing the poet.
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Abhimana Kshethram or Abhimana Sthalam are a list of 108 sacred Vishnu temples apart from the other 108 Divya desams. Abhimana desams or close abodes, these temples are the most significant temples in the Vaishnavite tradition which has similar greatness as Divya Desams. These set of temples is classified as an Abhimana Kshethram as it is mentioned in Various Puranas and Ithihasas such as Ramayana and Mahabharata and have Significant Sthala Puranas based on the Ithihasas and Various Puranas of Hinduism . The temples are also said to be visited by many Religious scholars and saints such as Ramanuja, Adi Shankara, Madhvacharya, Nathamuni, Yamunacharya, Vedanta Desika, Manavala Mamunigal, Purandara Dasa, Narayana Teertha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and by many other great Vedic teachers and Rishis. Some of these Temples are said to be visited by the Alvars who did not sing the god's grace due to various reasons.[1] Out of these 108 temples Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi is considered as the 1st out of the 108 Abhimana Kshethras as Thirumangai Alvar is believed to have visited the temple and is believed to have built the tall flag post outside the temple with the help of cotton bales. The other Alvars who are believed to have visited the temple at various periods were seemingly lost in under the beauty of the presiding deity and were at a loss for words.[1]

Legend[edit]

There were many old and highly important temples which were not sung by the Alvars in their Naalayira Divya Prabandham hence, not classified as a Divya desam which made many Vaishnava scholars sad. Nathamuni, Madhvacharya, Ramanuja, Vedanta Desika and many other Vaishnavate scholars classified another sect of temples called Abhimana Kshethras. These temples are so close to the heart of Maha Vishnu hence, called Abhimana desam.[2][3][4][5] These temples are classified as 108 Temples as various Vaishnavite Acharayas, Alvars and Various Rishis of puranas and ithihas glorify them.

List of Abhimana Kshethrams[edit]

This is the list of the 108 sacred Temples dedicated to various forms of Vishnu the supreme deity of Vaishnavism. These 108 Abhimana Kshethras are present only in India.

No. Name Deity Image
1 Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi Vidhya Rajagopalaswamy (Krishna)
2 Kothandaramar temple, Vaduvur Rama and Sita
3 Kothandaramar temple, Paruthiyur Rama and Sita
4 Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Kudavasal Srinivasa Perumal with Sridevi, Bhudevi
5 Kalinga narthana krishna Temple Veda Naarayanar with Sridevi and Bhudevi
6 Chakrapani Temple, Kumbakonam Chakrapani Perumal and Vijayalakshmi Thayar
7 Kothandaramar Temple, Adambar Rama with Sita
8 Kothandaramar Temple, Thillaivilagam Rama with Sita
9 Sri Lakshmi Narayana Perumal, Varagur Lakshmi Narayana Perumal, Venkatesha Perumal and Navaneetha Krishnan
10 Mudikondan Kothandaramar Temple Rama with Sita
11 Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Patteeswaram Rama with Sita
12 Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Thirumandangudi Ranganthaswamy and Ranganayaki Thayar.(Thondaradippodi Alvar avathara sthalam)
13 Ramaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam Rama with Sita
14 Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam Rajagopalaswamy with Sridevi and Bhudevi
15 Varahaperumal Temple, Kumbakonam Varaha with Bhudevi
16 Vasudeva Perumal Temple Vasudeva perumal with Sridevi and Bhudevi
17 Veetrirundha Perumal Temple Veetrindha Perumal with Bhudevi and Niladevi
18 Amrithanarayana Perumal Temple Amritanarayana Perumal and Amrithavalli Thayar
19 Anandha narayana perumal temple, Abaranadari, Nagapattinam Anandha narayana perumal and Alankaravalli Thayar
20 Devanarayana Perumal temple, Thevur, Nagapattinam Deva Narayana Perumal with Sridevi and Bhudevi
21 Varadha Narayana Perumal Temple, Vadakalathur, Nagapattinam Varadha Narayana Perumal and Perundevi Thayar
22 Yadhava Perumal Temple, Kizhvelur, Nangapattinam Yadhava Perumal with Sridevi and Bhudevi
23 Sri Veeranarayana Perumal Veeranarayana Perumal and Maragadhavalli Thayar
24 Sri Renganatha Perumal Temple, Vadarengam Ranganatha Perumal and Ranganayaki Thayar
25 Bhu Varaha Swamy temple Varaha and Ambujavalli Thayar
26 Adhirangam Ranganathaswamy temple Adi Ranganatha Perumal and Ranganayaki Thayar
27 Sri Lakshmi Narasimhswamy Temple,Polur Narasimha and Kanagavalli Thayar
28 Sri Yoga Rama temple Yoga Rama and Shengamalavalli Thayar
29 Eri-Katha Ramar Temple Erikatha Rama and Janakavalli Thayar (Sita)
30 Sundaravarada Perumal temple Sundaravarada Perumal and Anandavalli Thayar
31 Padalathri Narasimhar Temple Padalathri Narasimhar and Ahobilavalli Thayar
32 Adikesava Perumal temple, Mylapore Adi Keshava perumal and Mayuravalli Thayar
33 Madhava Perumal temple, Mylapore Madhava Perumal and Amrithavalli Thayar
34 Jagannatha Perumal temple Jaganatha Perumal and Thirumangaivalli Thayar
35 Adikesava Perumal temple, Sriperumpudur Adi Keshava Perumal and Yathirajavalli Thayar
36 Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple, Thiruparkadal Venkateshwara and Padmavathy
37 Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Shoolagiri Varadaraja Perumal and Perundevi Thayar
38 Betrayaswamy Perumal temple,Denkanikottai Betrayaswamy Perumal and Soundaryavalli Thayar
39 Adi Srinivasa perumal temple, Mookanur, Dharmapuri Adi moola Srinivasa Perumal and Padmavathy Thayar
40 Kodandaramaswamy Temple, Ayothyapatinam, Salem Rama with Sita
41 Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem Sundararaja Perumal and Sundaravalli Thayar
42 Narasimhaswamy Temple, Namakkal Narasimha and Namagiri Thayar Centre
43 Sri Kalyana Venkataramanaswamy, Thanthonimalai Swayambu Sri Kalyana Venkataramanaswamy and Lakshmi in Vakshasthalam
44 Vedanarayana perumal temple, Thirunarayanapuram Vedanarayana Perumal and Vedanayaki Thayar
45 Gunaseelam Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Temple Prasanna Venkatachalapathy and Lakshmi in Vakshasthalam
46 Kattu Narasimhaperumal Temple, Srirangam Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal And Lakshmi on his lap.
47 Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Ariyalur Varadaraja Perumal and Lakshmi in The Vakshasthala
48 Sri Venkatesa Perumal Temple (Melathiruppathi) – Mondipalayam Shaligrama Srinivasa Perumal
49 Soundararajaperumal temple, Thadikombu Soundararajaperumal and Soundaravalli
50 Ranganathaswamy temple, Karamadai Ranganatha Perumal and Ranganayaki Thayar
51 Guruvayur Temple Guruvayoorapan and Lakshmi in Vakshasthalam
52 Janardanaswamy Temple, Varkala Janardanaswamy Perumal
53 Panniyur Sri Varahamurthy Temple Varaha with Bhudevi
54 Ananthapura Lake Temple, Kasaragod Ananthapadmanabhaswamy Perumal
55 Thirunelli, Maha Vishnu Temple Maha Vishnu
56 Thirupalkadal Sreekrishnaswamy Temple Krishna
57 Thriprayar Rama Temple Rama
58 Koodalmanikyam Temple Bharata
59 Payammal Shatrughna Temple Shatrughna
60 Sri Krishna Trichambaram Temple Raudra Krishna
61 Kanipura Sri Gopalakrishna Temple Gopalakrishna (Krishna)
62 Maramkulangara Krishna Temple Krishna
63 Sree Vasudevapuram Mahavishnu Temple Maha Vishnu and Ashta Lakshmi
64 Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple Adi Narayana as Santhana gopala murthi
65 Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple Krishna
66 Chottanikkara Temple Lakshmi Narayana
67 Andalurkavu Sri Ramachandramoorthi Temple Rama
68 Sree Krishna Swami Temple, Thodupuzha Krishna
69 Evoor Major Sri Krishnaswamy Temple Krishna
70 Thiruvallam Sree Parasurama Temple Parashurama
71 Vilwadrinatha Temple Rama
72 Trikkulasekharapuram Sri Krishna Temple Krishna
73 Ramapuram Sree Rama Temple Rama with Sita
74 Varadaraja Perumal, Thiruvenkatanathapuram Varadaraja Perumal With Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi
75 Thanumalayan Temple Brahma Vishnu and Shiva
76 Padhmanabhaswamy Perumal temple, Nellaiappar Temple Anathapadhmanabhaswamy and Gajalakshmi Thayar
77 Sri Varadharaja Perumal Kovil Varadaraja Perumal and Mahalakshmi Thayar
78 Rajagopalaswamy Manarkoil Rajagopalaswamy Perumal
79 Kattalagar Perumal Temple Kallazhagar Perumal
80 Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram Rama and Seetha Pirati (Sita)
81 Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna Ranganathaswamy and Ranganayaki Devi
82 Ranganathaswamy Temple, Shivanasamudra Ranganathaswamy and Ranganayaki
83 Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple Cheluvanarayana Swamy
84 Gunja Narasimha Swamy Temple, Tirumakudal Narasipura Narasimha and Lakshmi Devi
85 Udupi Sri Krishna Matha Krishna
86 Kalady Krishna Temple Sree Krishnaswamy
87 Narasimha Jharni Sri Lakshmi Nararasimhswamy
88 Kurmanathaswamy temple, Srikurmam Kurmanathaswamy and Kurmanayaki Devi
89 Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Mattapalli Sri Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha with Rajalakshmi Thayar and Chenchu Lakshmi Thayar
90 Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Simhachalam Varaha Narasimha and Simhavalli thayar
91 Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple, Bhadrachalam Rama with Sita
92 Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Mangalagiri Lakshmi Narasimha
93 Kodandarama Temple, Tirupati Rama with Sita
94 Jagannath Temple, Puri Jaganatha
95 Chakra Narasimha Temple Chakra Narasimha
96 Vithoba Temple Vithoba and Rakhumai
97 Alarnatha Mandira Maha Vishnu as Jaganatha (Azhwarnathar)
98 Jyotisar Krishna
99 Narayan Sarovar Maha Vishnu
100 Sakhigopal Temple Gopinatha
101 Khirachora Gopinatha Temple Gopinatha
102 Charbhuja Nath Temple Charbhuja Nath
103 Vishnuprayag Maha Vishnu as Theertham
104 Vishnupad Temple, Gaya Maha Vishnu
105 Tri Yugi Narayanaswamy Temple Narayana and Lakshmi
106 Narasimha temple, Jyothir Math Narasimha cemtre
107 Adi Keshava Temple, Kashi Adi Keshava
108 Yoga-Narasimha Swamy Temple Saligrama Yoga Narasimha

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Dwaraka, south of Vindyas". The Hindu. 19 August 2010 – via www.thehindu.com.
  2. ^ Balaram Mohanty (1979). Introducing Orissa. Konarka Prakasani. p. 84.
  3. ^ Swami B. P. Puri (1 August 2017). Guru: The Universal Teacher. Simon and Schuster. p. 297. ISBN 9781683832454.
  4. ^ "Sri Ramanuja's gift to the Lord". The Hindu. India. 24 December 2012.
  5. ^ Neevel, Walter G. (1977). Yāmuna's Vedānta and Pāñcarātra: Integrating the Classical and the Popular, p.15. Issue 10 of Harvard theological review. Harvard dissertations in religion. Scholars Press. ISBN 0891301364

External links[edit]

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