Sthalasayana Perumal Temple, Mahabalipuram
Also known as: ஸ்தலசயனப் பெருமாள் கோயில் (திருக்கடல்மல்லை) · స్థలశయన పెరుమాళ్ ఆలయం, మహాబలిపురం · स्थलशयन पेरुमाल मंदिर, महाबलीपुरम
Tamil Nadu Vishnu
A Divya Desam at Mahabalipuram, where Vishnu rests on the ground, not on the serpent Adisesha.
- Deity
- Sthalasayana Perumal (Vishnu), Nilamangai Thayar (Lakshmi)
- Tradition
- Vishnu
- Place
- Mahabalipuram, Chengalpattu
- State
- Tamil Nadu
- Sacred tank / theertham
- Pundarika Pushkarani, the tank outside the temple, with a small pillared mandapa at its centre.
- Era
- Believed to be Pallava origin; later gifts from the Cholas, Vijayanagara kings and Madurai Nayaks.
Sthala Puranam
Sage Pundarika collected 1,008 lotus flowers to see Vishnu in his Ksirabdhinatha form. Vishnu came as an old man and asked him for food.
When the sage came back with food, Vishnu had stayed at the spot and became Sthalasayana Perumal.
Thirumangai Alvar sang about the temple. He saw the reclining form as special since this is the only place where Vishnu rests on the ground without Adisesha.
Speciality
- One of the 108 Divya Desams.
- Part of the Mahabalipuram group of monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple is run by the Tamil Nadu HR&CE department, not the ASI.
- A Vijayanagara king, Parankusa, moved it to the present site in the 14th century. The seven-tier gopuram is of the 15th–16th century.
Festivals
- Bhoothath Alvar Avatara Utsavam (Aipasi, the most prominent)
- Maasi Makham
How to reach
Location is approximate.
Before you go
- Dress modestly. Leave footwear outside the temple.
- Timings, ticket rules and dress codes change. Check the temple's own notice or website before you travel.
- Book darshan, rooms and special poojas only at the official counter or website, not through agents.
- Combine with the Shore Temple and Pancha Rathas. Check temple timings, since they differ from the ASI sites.
Prayers for this temple
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