Vaikuntha Perumal temple history

Vaikuntha Perumal Temple is situated at Kanchipuram in Tamilnadu.Recently built after the Kailasanatha temple at the end of the eight century.  The Vaikuntha Perumal temple is few hundred metres west of the railway station is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.  It’s lofty carved vimana crowns three shrines containing images of Vishnu, stacked one on top of the other.  The temple was built in the seventh century by the Pallava King named Nandivarman Pallavalmalla.  About five centuries later, temple’s pillared entrance hall was added by Vijayanagaram rulers and is very different in style, with far more ornate sculpting.

This temple is famous for its religious importance and unique architectural grandeur.  The Vaishnavas mentions it as a very sacred place.  Vaikuntha Perumal temple is one of the hundred and eight Divya desams.  The builder of this temple Nandivarman whose original name was Parameshwara so the temple was originally known as ‘Parameshwara Vishnugriham’ after the name of this king.

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Vaikuntha Perumal Temple History

Vaikintha Perumal temple was first built with a distinctive style in South India.  Thereafter, some others followed the style such as the Sundara Varada Perumal temple in Uttaramerur (Kanchipuram district), the Kudal Alagar temple in Madurai and few more.  On the wall of the temple, there are several religious sculptures which is very unique and important.  On the inner wall of the verandah running around the four sides of this temple, also has
a series of historical sculptures.  There are several historical sculptures found in this temple, which is not available in any other temples of India itself.  These explain about the history of the entire Pallava dynasty upto the reign of the builder of this temple Sri. Nandivarman Pallavamalla.  This famous temple have helped the historians of South India to write about all the events of ancient Pallava history and to fix the chronology of this dynasty by the sculptures and the numerous inscriptions of the Pallava  Dynasty of the temple.

One of the main attractions of Vaikuntha Perumal templs is the exceptional 1000 paired hall.  The extra characteristic about it is that each pillar has a statue carved on  it.  Inside the temple, lion pillars support the enclosed passages and the architecture of the temple has played a vital role in the architectural evolution of the grand thousand pillared mandaps built-in the later South Indian temples.  On the wall of the temple there are several inscriptions related to the wars between the Pallavas and Chalukyas. 
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The easiest way to reach  Vaikuntha Perumal temple is from Chennai, which is 71km away.  The nearest rail and air connection is also from Chennai.