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 Just next to the lapping waters of the Bay of Bengal,
better known as the Elliot’s beach in Adyar, is located Asia’s only Mahalakshmi
Mahavishnu temple wherein also reside the eight lakshmi’s – Sri Aadhi lakshmi
the Goddess of health, Sri Dhanya lakshmi the Goddess of food, Sri Dhairya lakshmi the
Goddess of courage, Sri Gaja lakshmi the Goddess of luck, Sri Santhana Lakshmi the Goddess
of children, Sri Dhana lakshmi the Goddess of wealth, Sri Vijaya lakshmi the Goddess of
victory and Sri Vidya lakshmi the Goddess of education. All idols are made of stone and
adorned with silk draperies. Significantly, whereas other temples have tanks for the
devotees to take a holy dip, here the entire sea is adjacent to the koil making it doubly
auspicious. Holiness not bound by the tank waters then!
 
 
Incidentally, the Sri Ashtalakshmi koil traces its history
from the year 1976, when it came into being under the auspices of a trust consisting of
five members, and chaired by Mukkur Srinivasa Varadhachriyar, a devotee. The temple was
constructed through donations, a major donor being Sri Lakshmi Mills of
Coimbatore. But
seventeen years later, the temple was taken over by the State Government after the
kumbhabhishekam, and is now being run by the Hindu Religious Endowments and Administrative
Department. At the koil, its representatives include the executive officer and temple
manager who ensure that the various festivals that the temple celebrates with religious
fervour – Navratri, Dussehra, Deepavali, Pongal and the New Year’s day, follow
the traditions of the temple.
Special pooja’s and distribution of food amongst the
poor form important rituals on the auspicious day, food being specially
prepared within the temple premises itself.
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 On enquiry, I learn that normal Tamil food is the order of
the festival day – for instance rasam, sambar, butter milk. Enough to fill 200 empty
stomachs for one day at least! Incidentally, temple food is always so much tastier than
home food. Divine touch spinning the magical spell here!
Nineteen priests from Tamil Gurukul’s and learned in the
vedas,
divya prabandas and shastras hold the sway here. Archanas and darshanas of the deities are
held under their supervision. The temple opens its doors to the public at sunrise when the
first archana is conducted, the last being at nine in the night, which also happens to be
the closing time of the koil. Special darshanas or archanas are conducted at the behest of
the devotee, subsequent to his buying the requisite ticket for it. Ordinarily, six
archanas are performed each day for the devotees.
 
 
Interestingly, the koil has been constructed in an omkar
shetram – a holy place in simpler terms, and resembles a vimana (chariot)
wherein all the lakshmi’s and Lord Vishnu are seated. There is a belief that during
the Tamil months of Chitra, Thai and Puratasi, Vishnu performs the Maha Lakshmi pooja in
the middle of the ocean.
It is also believed that the central vimana shadow, where
the main deities – Mahalakshmi and Mahavishnu are installed, does not fall on the
ground throughout the year. A special significance of the temple!
According to the temple staff, the maximum rush for darshan
is on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Friday is incidentally considered to be Goddess
Lakshmi’s day.
Shobha Mathur Pandian |
