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Varadaraja Perumal temple is recognized as Hastigiri and it was originally known as Attiyuran. Attiyuuran is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in the holy city of Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu, India. It is one of the "Divya Desams" temple, the 108 temples of Lord Vishnu believed to have been visited by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. Varadaraja Temple is situated on the west of Gandhi Road, which is off Tyagraja Street. The temple is situated beside Vedapureswarar Temple and is managed and administered by the same Trust.

The Varadaraja temple was originally built by the Cholas in 1053 and it was expanded during the rules of the great Chola kings Kulottunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola (1075 - 1135). In the Fourteenth century another wall and a gopura was built by the later Chola kings. It is known to be an ancient temple and it is one of the 108 divyadesams the holy abodes of Lord Vishnu. The temple is located in part of Kanchipuram called the Vishnu Kanchi that is a home for a lot of famous Lord Vishnu temples. One of the greatest Hindus scholars, Ramanuja is whispered to have resided in this temple once upon a time.


The name Hastigiri is applied in the association of Gajendra moksham and from the myth that Indra's elephant Airavatam , in the form of a hill bears the image of Lord Vishnu. The name Attiyurar emerges from the ritual, that the original image of Varadaraja Perumaal here was made from Attimaram. This prehistoric wooden image is worshipped for 10 days, once in forty years. The Varadaraja temple is a huge one on a 23-acre complex and it is known to be famous for its religiousness and ancient history. Another significant thing about the temple are beautiful engraved lizards and plated with gold, over the chamber. The Varadaraja temple is famous for its kodai. During the bhramotsavam in vaigasi (may-june) thousands crowd the temple and it increases at least by a two-fold during the garuda vahanam. On normal days the Varadaraja temple is generally free except for some locals and a few tourists. This place has many temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu, due to which it is also known as Shivakanchi, Vishnukanchi. Ma Kamakshi temple is the Shakti-peeth of this place.

There are around 18 temples of Lord Vishnu.Shridevaraj swami is a major temple out of these 18 temples, it is also known as Varadaraja Swami temple. It is said that Lord Narayana was also worshipped as Vardaraja and Devaraja. Thie Varadaraja temple has a magnificent hall of 100 pillars. Shri Vardaraja Swami temple is a temple full of beauty which lies inside three grand circles.

The Legend has it that after He created the universe, Lord Brahma wanted Lord Vishnu to come down to the earth. The Brahma began to perform the Aswameda Yagam and when the Yagam was drawing to a close, Sree Varadaraja and his Consort, Sree Lakshmi appeared out of the flames of the Aswameda Yagam, granting Brahma's wishes to stay on the earth. The Lord is self-manifest (Svvayam-vyakta) and not installed by any being, divine or human.


The Varadaraja temple is open to the devotees offering prayers from 6 am to 12.00 in the noon and from 4.00pm to 9.30 pm. Four devotion services are offered here by priests who are said to be descendents of Yagna Valkyar. The yearly Bhramotsavam is celebrated in the month of Vaikasi, while the Adhyayanotsavam is celebrated in the month of Margazhi. The Garuda Sevai and the Chariot festival during the Bhramotsavam draw thousands of pilgrims. During Chitra Pournami and Pongal, the idol is taken out to neighboring areas. Some of the famous festivals in Kanchipuram are the Brahmotsavam at the Varadaraja temple in May, the Float Festival at the Varadaraja temple in February and November.

Nearby tourist places to Varadaraja Temple Kanchipuram Chennai Mahabalipuram

Near Varadaraja temple there are few more temples like Kamakshi Amma Temple, Ekambarnath Temple, Kumarkottan Temple, and Kailashnath Temple. Kanchipuram was the capital of Chola and Pallava Dynasty. This place is full of history, and other than temples this place is famous for its silk sarees.

It is not difficult to find quality accommodation in Kanchipuram. Most of the lodges are situated near the city bus stand. Some guesthouses also provide basic facilities, and a peaceful environment to the travelers. There are good hotel accommodations available in Kanchipuram from deluxe hotels to the budget hotels. Hotels in Kanchipuram are known for their traditional warmth and hospitality.

• Through Airways- Chennai is the nearest airport to Kanchipuram.


• Through Railways- Trains for Kanchipuram are available from Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tirupati, and Bangalore.


• Through Roadways- Kanchipuram is 75 kilometers away from Chennai and is well connected by a network of roads with the other important towns and cities of Tamilnadu.