An architectural marvel associated with the Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple, in Padur (pronounced as Paadhoor), near Ulundurpet, in Villupuram district, is that the sun's rays come and pay obeisance to the Lord for a week in the Tamil month of Aaavani (7-12).

The rays remain so for about 12 minutes from about 5.30 a.m. says the priest of the temple, S Padmanabhan, with great feeling.

The Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal temple has several legends associated with it. One is that in the distant past, the tahsildar of the place, C O J Rao, had a dream one night that an idol was buried in the village.



The idol was dug out and worshipped. Since the main deity appeared from an anthill, he came to be known as Nagamalai Nayaganar and as he appeared in the dream of the tahsildar, he also came to be known as Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal.

Another interesting legend is that the utsavar was also found buried in the village near the pond. Since the idol had a copper plate stating that it was shifted from Madurai, people realised that somebody had tried to safeguard it during the invasion of the Muslims.

The utsavar, called Prasanna Varadarajan or Prasanna Devarajan, is a beautiful panchaloha idol that stands in the company of Sridevi and Bhoodevi.

The Veera Anjaneyar idol also appeared in the dream of an old man and a tahsildar who had gone to nearby Ulunthandavar Koil and were resting there. When the idol was dug out, the villagers asked the tahsildar to keep the idol in the Padur temple and worship it there, says temple hereditary trustee V Sundaram Iyengar, a sprightly man at the grand old age of 92.

There is a Garuda pillar at the entrance to the temple. Once you enter the temple seven steps lead to the dwajasthambam and Garudan shrine. There is a Lakshmi Narasimhar idol before the sanctum sanctorum that is not worshipped as it is disfigured. Next to the Lakshmi Narasimhar idol is the holy find of Veera Anjaneyar. There is no plan to make a separate shrine for the Anjaneyar, as per his wish!

Majestic dwarapalakas guard the sanctum sanctorum where stands Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal with his consorts Sridevi and Bhoodevi in nindra kolam. He is accompanied by the utsavar murthis - Prasanna Varadaraja Perumal with Sridevi and Bhoodevi; Navaneetha Kannan; Chakrathazhwar and Selvar.

There is a separate shrine for Thayar to the left of the sanctum sanctorum. The beautiful idol is known by the Sanskrit name Padmavathy and the Tamil name, Alarmel Mangai.

To the right of the sanctum sanctorum is the shrine for Andal, Vedanta Desikar, Udayavar and the first Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt, Sri Adivansadakopa Yatindra. The temple's close links with the Ahobila Mutt can be gauged from the fact that the 36th Jeeyar, Sri Srinivasa Yatindra Mahadesikan's brindavanam is situated there. It is to be noted that this is the only temple after Srirangam where the brindavanam of Ramanujar is situated, to have a brindavanam of a guru.

The various organisations that are associated with the temple and the devotees belonging to the village make sure that various festivals are celebrated through the year:

Chithirai: Chitrai 1, Laksha Deepam for Lord Anjaneya. There is also vennnai kappu alankaram and vadamalai alanakaram.

Akshaya Thrithiyai is also celebrated in this month with garudaseva.

Vaikasi: Vaikasi Visakam is marked by Garuda Seva. The temple boasts of a beautiful thanga Garudan.

Adi: Thayar procession on Fridays and Andal thirukalyanam during Adi Pooram.

Avani: Sri Jayanthi celebrations.

Purattasi: Brahmotsavam. The various vahanams used in the processions are: Hamsa vahanam, Chandra Prabhai, Hanumantha vahanam, Sesha Vahanam, thanga Garuda vahanam (the seva is performed by the prasanna Venkatesa Baktha Jana Sabha) and Gaja vahanam (conducted by the Vedanta Desikar Sabha). The grand finale is the kalyana utsavam (this was the 87th year it was conducted by the Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Kainkarya Sabha) and Pushpa Pallakku leading to rathotsavam.

The temple chariot was renovated in 1989 and now a devotee has donated money to build a tin shed to guard the wooden structure, informs S Vijayaraghavan, son of the hereditary trustee.

Aippasi: Pavithrotsavam and Deepavali are celebrated during this month.

Karthigai: Thirukarthigai utsavam is celebrated during this month and Thirumangai Alwar sathumurai is also observed.

Margazhi: Dhanur masa poojas mark this month and Vaikunta Ekadasi is also celebrated grandly.

Thai: Thayar is taken out in a procession around the temple on the Fridays of this month. There is also Kanu utsavam for Andal, and Ayana utsavam.

Panguni: Thirukalyanam marks Panguni Uthiram in this month.

Apart from this almost a festival-a-month, bhajans are held every Saturday. The mandapam in front of 36th Jeer of Ahobilamutt was constructed by various donors especially by Shri P.MuthuRaja of PMR Educational Trust, Mugappair, Chennai. Further, the kitchen, generally called as madaipalli was constructed by Shri G.R.. Krishnan, Ashok Nagar, Chennai, a philanthropist.

It is voluntary organisations that conduct most festivals and carry out most of the work in the temple.

The Prasanna Venkatesa Kainkarya Sabha built a separate shrine for the Jeeyar's brindavanam in the temple.

The sabha also built a house for the priest in place of the old tiled-roof house that his family was living in. So committed are the members that the house was built within 90 days at a nominal cost.

The Srinivasa Seva Samithy, headed by A K Iyengar, is actively involved with the temple that is nearly 930 years old and is an example of Chola architecture.

One might wonder at the number of voluntary organisations that run within the temple. Though the temple comes under the HR&CE for auditing purposes, it does not have a hundial. The temple has some lands but they are not fertile enough to yield any revenue now. So, the temple is run by donations from devotees.

A famous devotee provided piped water connection for the temple by building a tank and installing a pumpset. Another devotee, Krishnan Indra, built a madapalli where the prasadam during the Brahmotsavam is prepared.

Recently, another organisation, called Vasudaiva Kutumbakam Seva Trust was formed in the temple and it has got tax exemption under 80G of the IT Act.

All these organisations are getting together to conduct the consecration of the temple. "I have seen one samprokshanam in 1986. I would love to see another one now," remarks the hereditary trustee, Sundaram Iyengar. His wish it to come true as the temple is now gearing up for renovation. They are planning for a 'balalayam' of the idols. There is a proposal to construct a rajagopuram.

(One of the important players of the previous samprokshanam was late A K Sampath Iyengar, a native of Padur. Till his death, he was a part of all the activities that took place in the temple. Though he died eight years ago, his family continues to do the things he used to do for the temple. Every year, New Year celebrations on January 1 and the fourth day of the Purattasi Brahmotsavam are supported by them.)

"We are also planning for a mirror room (kannadi arai) for the Lord," says A K Iyengar. He also mentions that it would be nice if people who come to visit the temple can have rooms to stay in where they could be provided toilet facilities.

All this calls for huge investments and the various organisations associated with the temple are looking to devotees to loosen their purse strings and contribute liberally.

There are already schemes like paying Rs 250 to conduct a day's pooja - the temple conducts five-time pooja - or contributing to the upkeep of the temple in some other form, or taking up the conduct of one of the many festivals that mark the temple calendar, says P Govindarajan, who belongs to the village.

His brother Sekar expresses his ardent wish that everybody comes to know about Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal and that his Padur becomes a must-see place in the itinerary of all devotees like they now make it a point to visit Parikal, which lies 8 km from this village.

Details of the temple:
Deity: Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal
Thayar: Alarmel Mangai
Theertham: Seshanadhi, Garudanadhi
Vimanam: Ananda Vimanam
Pooja style: Vaikanasa Agamam
Jeeyar brindavanam pooja style: Pancharathram
Pooja timings: 9 a.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m.

How to get there: The village lies 15 minutes from Ulundurpet on National Highway 45. It lies between Gadilam and Ulundurpet, west of IOC/Reliance petrol pump.

It is reachable from Ulundurpet (8 km east) and from Villupuram (30 km south).

Devotees can send in their contribution for archana, giving details of the name, gothram and star. The prasadam will be sent by post, assures the Srinivasa Seva Samithy. Those who wish to contribute in cash or kind may do so to:

Srinivasa Seva Samithy,
Registered 55/04,
Padur - 606 115,
Ulundurpet Taluk,
Villupuram district.

R Chitra