There was a dense forest resembling a mammoth, dark cave. The area was called Mabilam. In the midst of the impenetrable forest was a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The times were difficult. Many temples were being razed to the ground by foreign invaders and the property looted. Mabilam became the ideal place to house idols from various temples a few miles away, as it provided a safe haven. The "utsavamoorthies" of a number of temples were brought to the Adi Kesava Perumal temple in Mabilam and taken back to their abodes after the threat had passed. The Mabilam of those days is nothing but the Mambalam of today! The ancient temple is still standing. The God who gave shelter to the Gods became the first among them and came to be called Adi Kesava - The First Kesava. The Chennai Adi Kesava Perumal Thirukkoil is situated in West Mambalam on Govindan Street. It can be approached from both Ashok Nagar and Saidapet. The temple is age-old and one can feel the history in the air. It seems to have been caught in a time bubble and is immersed in antiquity despite the urban cellophane that is wrapped around it.

There is a fascinating story about the origins of this temple. Madhwachar, a devotee of Srirangam Ranganatha, was very sad as he had not been blessed with progeny. Those days it was believed that one could not go to Vaikuntam if one did not have children. He pleaded in the most desperate tones to Ranganatha who was most merciful to his ardent devotees. Madhwachar received a command from the Lord to undertake a pilgrimage to Tiruallikeni (Tiruvallikeni or Triplicane) to have the grace of Sri Parthasarathy and then to Tirumala to have the blessings of Lord Venkateswara. This would ensure that he was blessed with a child. Accordingly, Madhwachar left Srirangam and proceeded northwards in the direction of Tiruallikeni. One evening as he and his wife were walking, the skies darkened and the couple found themselves in a dense and frightening jungle filled by the hungry howls and fierce growls of wild animals. The two began wailing and sought the urgent help of the Lord. Why, they implored him, were they being tested thus? 

At that moment Madwachar heard the tinkle of cow bells. A small 10-year-old cowherd clad in just a loincloth appeared. He took the devotees to a small mandapam and asked them to spend the night there. He informed them that they were only a small distance away from Tiruallikeni. The couple now greatly encouraged by the young cowherd who gave them friuts to eat, lay down to rest for the night. Despite the fearful surroundings they slept soundly. In his sleep, Madhwachar heard the notes of a flute. He had a vision of a young child with the effulgence of a million suns. The child told that vigrahas of God with his consorts were under that mandapam. Madhwachar woke up his wife and told her of the dream. To his wonder she told him that she had had the same dream. Highly excited by this unique experience the couple spent the time till dawn singing the praise of Hari. In the morning when they essayed out of the woods, the local people were shocked to see human beings emerge out of Mabilam which was considered only the abode of wild and venomous animals. 

When Madhwachar explained his experiences the people rushed to the mandapam and tried to excavate the vigrahas, though somewhat sceptically. Madhwachar persuaded the people not to use crowbars and such implements lest the Lord suffer some injuries. Thereupon the people began digging the earth with their bare hands. Soon the vigrahas of Kesava with his consorts Sreedevi and Bhoodevi were unearthed. A temple was established at the mandapam. The present location is the same. Madhwachar later completed his pilgrimage to Tiruallikeni and Tirumala. At Tirumala, Lord Venkateswara bade him to return to Mabilam and serve Kesava there. At Mabilam, Madhwachar was blessed with a son who was named Krupasamudram, in praise of the fact that the Lord is an ocean of mercy to his devotees. The temple has been visited by the Vaishnavite saint, Ramanuja, the great Yatiraja, during his pilgrimages.

The main deity is a three-foot stone vigraha with conch & discus and the abhaya hasta. Sreedevi and Bhoodevi accompany the Lord. There is a separate shrine for Senkamalavalli Thayar. Goddess Andal and Lord Srinivasa have separate shrines in the main temple. On the outer precincts one can find shrines of Vinayaka, Chakrathazhwar, Hanuman and Garudazhwar. The chief priest of the temple is Dhamal Raghunathachariar who conducts the aradhanai as per the Pancharathra agama. The temple conducts its Brahmotsavam in the Tamil month of Masi. The old Vimana of the temple has been recently repainted.

A visit to this temple is strongly recommended to all those who want to have a glimpse of the beneficent visage of Adi Kesava Perumal. A temple graced by the great saints like Ramanuja, Nammalwar and Thirumangaialwar.

Ambujam Anantharaman

More Articles