Varadharaja Perumal Temple

Located in the heart of Kanchipuram, the Varadharaja Perumal Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is one of the 108 shrines of the Lord. Its popularity attracts numerous devotees throughout the year. It is believed that this temple was once the abode of the celebrated Hindu scholar, Ramnujacharya. The temple is the manifestation of the great devotion of the Cholas towards Lord Vishnu. It was constructed in the 11th century and later new structures were gracefully added to it in the 14th century by the Chola King Kulottunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola .

Known for its rich history, some of the temple's walls are dedicated to exquisite carvings of lizards with gold work. The sophisticated architecture of the temple draws attention of the visitors. The stone chains in the mandap deserves mention for its art and architecture. The hundred pillars inside the mandap are carved to perfection. The temple has a big Parakaram housing the Shrines of the Lord Narasimha, Goddess Perundevi Thayaar, Lord Sudarshna and Lord Azhwar. The prasadam (sacred food) distributed in the temple is a huge idly(steamed rice cake) which is spicy.

The temple houses a huge idol of Varadharaja Perumal , one form of Lord Vishnu. The idol of goddess Perundevi Thayaar, the consort of Lord Vishnu, looks very beautiful. She is also known as 'Padi Thanda Pathini' which means ' She is obedient to Lord'. One peculiarity about the temple is that it houses a wooden idol named 'Lord Athigiri Varadhar' which is kept hidden and is taken out for darshan once in forty years. The famous celebrations at the temple are Annual Brahmotsavam, Garuda Seva, Adhyayana Utsavam and Rath Yatra.