The world is nothing, but an experiment of God, which has been successful to a great extent. All the creatures and everything else are just a product of God’s laboratory and the order places humans at the top of the ladder, looking up at God in enchantment, saluting his mystic powers and imagination. However, this starry-eyed, surprised look is not what God has always been getting as a token of our appreciation and respect. Humans devised a way to showcase their admiration to the God by erecting a structure where all religious souls gather to pay their homage to the Supreme Being, worshiped in different avatars across the world. Indians were never behind in this pursuit. They constructed many abodes for God according to their sentiments and the avatar they chose to pray, of which Parthasarathy Temple is an excellent example.
Location
Parthasarathy Temple is located in the ancient neighborhood of Triplicane in Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu state.
History
This ancient Hindu temple was constructed by the rulers of Pallava Dynasty in the 8th century. It carries inscription from the same era in two dominant languages of the state, Telugu and Tamil, under the reign of Dantivarman. A saint from the 9th century also credited Dantivarman for the construction of the temple. The inscription inside the temple indicates that it was expanded in the 15h century when the region was occupied by the Chola Dynasty rulers. Several shrines and pavilions were added to the temple during this period. The temple was administered by the East India Company for a while, as the Britishers captured India.
Dedicated to Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, the temple derives its name from the Sanskrit word Parthasarathy, which translates to “Charioteer of Arjuna”, a role Krishna played during the battle of Mahabharata. This temple is one of the very few temples dedicated to Krishna’s role as Parthasarathy. It is sometimes referred to as the Brindavan of South India. The temple premises and activities are now administered by Hindu Religious and Endowment Board, a body of the state government.
Structure
Following the patterns of South Indian Temple Architecture, the Parthasarathy Temple showcases intricate carvings on its pillars and entrance towers, also known as Gopurams. There are two entrances to the temple complex. The tank of the temple consists of five wells and is named as “Thiruvallikeni”, after the birthplace of Vishnu’s wife Lakshmi. There are several shrines in the temple apart from the one of the main deity. The temple features four idols of different avatars of Lord Vishnu: Krishna, Rama, Narasimha and Varaha. The idols of the main deity of the temple and other idols make up for three generations of Vishnu’s family.
Festivals and Traditions
The temple holds great importance among the followers of Vaishnavism. Several festivals are celebrated in the temple and people gather in large numbers to pay their homage to the temple Gods. The daily rituals of the temple begin when the holy water is brought for the idols at 05:30 in the morning, followed by chanting from 05:55 till 06:00. The idols of the deities are then uncovered and from 06:15 onwards, the devotees offer their tribute to the Gods.
The ritual of Kala SandhiTheertham begins from 08:00 a.m. followed by prayers at 11:00, which concludes by noon. The evening prayer begins at 04:00 p.m., followed by evening rituals at 06:00, offerings at 07:30 and night prayer from 09:00 p.m. onwards. The months of Tamil Calendar and the festivals celebrated during different months have been listed for the convenience of the visitors:
Chithirai
The months of April and May witness the celebration of Shri Brahma Utsav.
Vaigasi
This period falling between the month of May and June witnesses the celebration of Vasanthotsavam.
Aani
Between the months of June and July, Shri Narasimha Swami Brahmotsavam is celebrated, followed by the KodaiUtsav.
Aadi
During this period falling between the months of July and August, several festivals are celebrated at the temple. Devotees gather for the Shri Gajendra Moksha and Shri Parthasarathy Jyesthabhishekam.
Aavani
This period, falling between the months of August to September, witnesses ThiruPavithraUtsav and Krishna Jayanti.
Puratasi
During this period falling between the months of September to October, the festival of Navaratri is celebrated.
Aippasi
From October to November, the festival of lights, Deepawali is celebrated in the temple.
Karthigai
The period between Novembers to December is the time when devotees celebrate the Thir Karthigai Deepam and ThailaKappu.
Margazhi
From December to January, the festival of Margazhi PagalPathu, Sri VaikunthaEkadashi and Rau Pathu are celebrated at the temple.
Thai
From January to February, devotees gather for Laksharchana and RathaSaptami.
Masi
From February through March, the festival of MasiMagamTheppam, DhavanaUtsavam and Thepotsavam are celebrated in the temple.
Panguni
During the months of March and April, devotees celebrate Ram Navami and PanguniUthiram.
Eat, Drink, Collect
Visitors can collect Prasadam, a religious offering from the temple. The price of the offerings begins from Rs.150/- and goes up to Rs 6000/-. The neighbourhood of Triplicane where the Parthasarathy Temple is located is an ancient settlement of the town. There are several age-old restaurants in the area which serve authentic local cuisines as well as other options to choose from. There are several private lodges in Triplicane which offer accommodation at reasonable prices.
Best Time to Visit
The temple remains open all year long and with several festivals taking place round the calendar, visitors can plan their trip to the historical temple as per their convenience without having to worry about missing something during their visit.
How to Reach
The temple is easily accessible through Mass Rapid Transit System and other modes of transport. It is situated at a distance of approximately four kilometres from the Chennai railway station and 25 kilometres from the airport.
The city of Chennai is well connected to other major destinations of India and neighboring towns and states owing to its designation of being one of the four major metropolitan cities of India.