Historical PeriodEra
Oral / medieval / documented history
š· Unknown authorUnknown author Ā· Public domain Ā· source
Deities
PÄrthasÄrathy of Triplicane
PÄrthasÄrathy ā Krishna as Arjuna's charioteer
PÄrthasÄrathy ā Krishna as Arjuna's charioteer
Hindu / Vaishnava / Sri Vaishnava / Tamil
PÄrthasÄrathy Temple of Triplicane ā Chennai's oldest temple (8th c., Pallava) ā is a Divya Desam. The deity is Krishna in his charioteer-form for Arjuna in the MahÄbhÄrata, holding a conch but no weapon (as he promised Duryodhana not to fight). The face of the deity bears visible wound-marks from the war, unique among Vishnu iconography. Sung by Tirumangai-Äįø»vÄr, PeyÄįø»vÄr. The temple's chariot-festival (Brahmotsavam) is among the largest in Tamil Nadu.
India's sacred landscape embraces Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian, tribal, regional-folk traditions ā each with its own cosmology and priestly lineage. This entry honours Hindu on its own terms.
