Vilakkoli Perumal | Deepa Prakasa Perumal Temple – Kancheepuram
Even for those who visit Kancheepuram often, a few temples
are new. This is because the land is surrounded by temples, a fortunate fact.
One of the lesser known temples for the majority is Vilakkoli Perumal temple,
or Deepa Prakasa Perumal temple located in Thooppul, Thiruthanka. Mangalasasanam had been done in this temple by
Thirumangai Azhwar. This is one of the 108 Divya Desam temples of Lord Vishnu.
Architecture & Shrines
The temple has shrines for Goddess Lakshmi, A
ndal, Lord Hayagreeva, and the
Azhwars. This temple is thronged by devotees who want a progeny, and also by
people who wish to shine in education. When the wishes are fulfilled,
Thirumanjanam is done to the God and Goddess by the devotees.History & Singnificance
Thoopul is the name in olden days for this temple. This is because
Dharba grass was very dense here that this place looked like a forest. This is
where Lord Vishnu offered his darshan to Goddess Saraswathi. This is where
Vedanta Maha Desika was born. This great saint himself was a boon to his mother
from Deepa Prakasa Perumal. She had prayed for a child that would sing his
praises to Lord Venkatesa of Tirupati. The delighted God, asked the bell in
his hand to be born as her child. This is why there is no usage of bell in the
temple of Tirupati till this day. Saint Vedanta Maha Desika was born in 1268,
and lived till 1369, which means he lived to cross 100 years, a rare bliss. He
was a great scholar, and had unfathomable knowledge in scriptures. He
translated numerous works from Sanskrit to Tamil. He worshipped Lord Lakshmi
Hayagreeva, and the idol is present in the temple till date. There is also a
shrine for Saint Vedanta Maha Desika here. It is also said, his son completed
the construction of this temple.
Story
The story behind the temple is quite interesting. Lord Brahma
was cursed by Lord Shiva that there would be no temple for him in Earth. So
Lord Brahma conducted a yagna and called all the Gods and Goddesses. However,
he didn’t count in Goddess Saraswathi, the goddess of knowledge and his own
wife. Enraged Saraswathi cursed that there would be no light for this yagna.
When Lord Brahma worshipped Lord Vishnu, he appeared in the form of light or
the Jothi form. Thus Lord Brahma conducted the yagna, with the blessings of Lord Vishnu. Hence Lord
Vishnu got the name Deepa Prakasa, the one who shone as light, and rendering
the same meaning named Vilakkoli Perumal in Tamil. He also helped reuniting
Goddess Saraswathi with God Brahma.
During the month of Vaikasi, between May to June, the event
of Lord Vishnu granting his darshan to Vedanta Desika is grandly celebrated
here.
Temple Timings
The temple is open from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 7 PM.
How To Reach
It is easy to
reach this temple from Varadharjar temple in Vishnu Kanchi. When wishes are
fulfilled devotees offer Vastras, or clothing to the God and Goddesses here.
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