Pavalavanna-perumal — ELGODS

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KanchipuramTamil Nadu

7th–9th c. CE

earth

A Temple Record

Pavalavanna-perumal

Pavalavanna — coral-coloured Vishnu of Kanchi

HinduVaishnavaSri Vaishnava

Enter the Record

↓

I.Overview

A Sacred Site

In Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, there stands Pavalavanna-perumal — pavalavanna-perumal — one of the 108 Divya Desams sung by the 12 Alvars. Goddess: Pavala-valli. Vimana: Pavalavanna-vimana. Sung by Tirumangai-alvar — 11 pasurams.

मन्त्रOm Namo Narayanaya / Om Namo Bhagavate VasudevayaSacred Mantra

§Sacred Mantra

Om Namo Narayanaya / Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

··

Pavalavanna — coral-coloured Vishnu of Kanchi · The Sacred Syllable

Recite softly. Let the syllables settle. The mantra is the shortest path between the devotee and the divine.

II.Architecture

The Built Form

Dravidian (Chola-Pallava)

Gopurams

12m

Height

Hectares

Vimana / Gopuram

Dravidian vimana over the sanctum — single or double prakara with modest vimana

Sanctum Sanctorum

Garbhagriha — Single or double prakara with modest vimana

Construction Material

granite with brick gopurams

Pavalavanna-perumal — one of the 108 Divya Desams sung by the 12 Alvars

§Plan View

An architectural reading of Pavalavanna-perumal — a top-down plan derived from the temple's recorded data.

Legend

Gopurams (1)

Vimana & Sanctum

IV.Elements

Sacred Elements

The colours, creatures, and offerings that mark this site.

Sacred Colours

saffron

yellow

green (tulasi)

Sacred Flowers

tulasilotuschampaka

Sacred Offerings

tulasi garlandpuliyodaracurd riceakkaravadisal

VI.Texts

Sacred Texts

Nalayira Divya Prabandham
Type: Tamil hymns

IX.Rituals

Worship & Rituals

Daily Rites

vishvarupa
kala-santi
ucchikala
sayaraksha
ardha-jama

Offering Sequence

01
tulasi
02
milk abhisheka
03
puliyodara
04
deepa-arati
05
tirtha + shathari

X.Sacred Story

A Temple Record

An editorial reading of the site, woven from its architectural, historical, and scriptural data.

In Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, Pavalavanna-perumal — a 7th–9th c. ce site — pavalavanna-perumal — one of the 108 Divya Desams sung by the 12 Alvars. Goddess: Pavala-valli. Vimana: Pavalavanna-vimana. Sung by Tirumangai-alvar — 11 pasurams.

§Reading the Built Form

Built in the Built in the Dravidian (Chola-Pallava) tradition, the temple's 1 gopurams rise 12 metres into the sky the garbhagriha holds garbhagriha — single or double prakara with modest vimana . Pavalavanna-perumal — one of the 108 Divya Desams sung by the 12 Alvars

The temple is principally referenced in Nalayira Divya Prabandham (tamil hymns).

Om Namo Narayanaya / Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

§A Visitor's Approach

01Walk the pradakshina path. Let the silence settle.

02Look up. The vimana above the sanctum is the temple's vertical sermon — each tier a step toward the divine.

03Chant the mantra softly: Om Namo Narayanaya / Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

04The tradition here is hindu. Sit. Listen. The darshan is its own teaching.

§Practical Notes

When to Visit

Open year-round. Visit at dawn for the deepest quiet.

Tradition

Hindu · Vaishnava · Sri Vaishnava · Tamil

End of record · Pavalavanna-perumal

§Sacred Connections

Other sites derived from shared frontmatter data — tradition, era, region, or built form.

Of the Same Tradition

Appakkudathaan Perumal (Koviladi)

Hindu

Chidambaram — Thillai Nataraja

Hindu

Dwarka Temple — Dwarkadhish

Hindu

Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal (Kandiyur)

Hindu

12 Jyotirlings — Shiva's Radiant Forms

Hindu

Kailasa Temple — Ellora Cave 16

Hindu

Of the Same Era

Akilandeshwari of Thiruvanaikka — the goddess-consort Temple

7th–9th c. CE

In the Same Region

Appakkudathaan Perumal (Koviladi)

Koviladi, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur

Thanjavur, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

Chidambaram — Thillai Nataraja

Chidambaram, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu

Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal (Kandiyur)

Kandiyur, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

Kumbakonam — Muthuswami Dikshitar's Temple Cities

Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

Madurai Meenakshi — The Fish-Eyed Goddess

Madurai, Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Of the Same Architectural Style

Nilathingal Thundam (Chandrasooda)

Dravidian (Chola-Pallava)

Thirukkalvanur (Adi Varaha)

Dravidian (Chola-Pallava)

Thiruneeragam (Jagadeesha)

Dravidian (Chola-Pallava)

Thiruooragam (Trivikrama

Dravidian (Chola-Pallava)

Thiruputkuzhi (Vijayaraghava)

Dravidian (Chola-Pallava)

Thiruthanka (Vilakkoli Perumal)

Dravidian (Chola-Pallava)

View all sacred connections →

Historical Period9c CE

7th–9th c. CE

3000 BCE9th century CEPresent

Sacred Facts · At a Glance

Mantra

Om Namo Narayanaya / Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Gender

trade_routes:

"Kanchipuram temple pilgrimage corridor" connected_events:
- event: "Alvar hymns and Divya Prabandham composition" significance: "One of the 108 Divya Desams hymned by the 12 Alvars (6th–9th c. CE)" vahana: "Garuda (eagle mount)" connected_events:
- event: "Temple founding and consecration" significance: "Original temple construction and prana-pratishtha ceremony" associated_kings:
"Local ruling dynasty" sacred_trees:
peepal
bilva (bael)
tulasi sacred_animals:
Nandi (sacred bull)
peacock
elephant vahana: "Garuda (eagle mount)" festival_dates:
"Maha Shivaratri (Feb–Mar)"
"Diwali (Oct–Nov)"

Pavalavanna-perumal

One of the 108 Divya Desams

The 108 Divya Desams are the sacred abodes of Vishnu sung by the 12 Alvar saint-poets. Compiled as the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Nathamuni (9th c. CE), this corpus of 4,000 pasurams defines the sacred geography of Tamil Vaishnavism and the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya.

This Temple

Location: Kanchipuram, Kanchipuram (12.8414°N, 79.705°E) Tamil Nadu
Presiding deity: Pavalavanna-perumal (Vishnu coral-red, unique among 108 forms)
Thayar (Goddess): Pavala-valli
Tirtham: Chakra-tirtham
Vimana: Pavalavanna-vimana
Mangalashasanam: Sung by Tirumangai-alvar — 11 pasurams
Built: 7th–9th c. CE

Sthala-Puranam

Unique coral-red painted deity (contrasting with the usual dark-blue Vishnu). Linked by tradition to Saraswati who returned the 4 Vedas here after Brahma's anger.

Worship & Festival

Daily 5-fold puja; Vaikuntha Ekadashi (Margazhi full moon) is the holiest day — the Paramapada-vasal gate is opened; passing through is said to grant moksha. Annual Brahmotsavam (10 days) features Vishnu on all his vahanas (Garuda, Hanumanta, Shesha, Hamsa, Simha, Ratha).

The Alvar Tradition

Each Divya Desam's sanctity rests on how many Alvars sang of it and how many pasurams — this is the mangalashasanam. Tamil Vaishnavism treats the 4,000 pasurams as Dravida Veda — equivalent to the Sanskrit Vedas.

Sthalapurana (Temple Legend)

The sacred history of this shrine is recounted in local Sthalapurana texts and the Divya Prabandham hymns.

Pavalavanna-perumal

A Sacred Site

The Built Form

Vimana / Gopuram

Sanctum Sanctorum

Construction Material

Sacred Elements

Sacred Colours

Sacred Flowers

Sacred Offerings

Sacred Texts

Nalayira Divya Prabandham

Worship & Rituals

Daily Rites

Offering Sequence

A Temple Record

Of the Same Tradition

Appakkudathaan Perumal (Koviladi)

Chidambaram — Thillai Nataraja

Dwarka Temple — Dwarkadhish

Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal (Kandiyur)

12 Jyotirlings — Shiva's Radiant Forms

Kailasa Temple — Ellora Cave 16

Of the Same Era

Akilandeshwari of Thiruvanaikka — the goddess-consort Temple

In the Same Region

Appakkudathaan Perumal (Koviladi)

Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur

Chidambaram — Thillai Nataraja

Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal (Kandiyur)

Kumbakonam — Muthuswami Dikshitar's Temple Cities

Madurai Meenakshi — The Fish-Eyed Goddess

Of the Same Architectural Style

Nilathingal Thundam (Chandrasooda)

Thirukkalvanur (Adi Varaha)

Thiruneeragam (Jagadeesha)

Thiruooragam (Trivikrama

Thiruputkuzhi (Vijayaraghava)

Thiruthanka (Vilakkoli Perumal)

📿Hindu இல் மேலும்

Ahobilam Narasiṁha — 9 forms

Alwarthirunagari

Appakkudathaan Perumal (Koviladi)

Aranmula Parthasarathy

Ayodhya Ram Mandir

Badri-narayana

🕉️உங்களுக்கான பரிந்துரை

Arya Samaj

Ayyavazhi

Brahmo Samaj

Ganapatya (Ganesha Worship)

Gaudiya Vaishnavism

Hinduism

Pavalavanna-perumal

One of the 108 Divya Desams

This Temple

Sthala-Puranam

Worship & Festival

The Alvar Tradition

Sthalapurana (Temple Legend)

✦Wisdom Graph: Divine Associations✦

📖 Stories

🪔 Worship Procedures

🛕 Principal Temples

🎊 Festivals

📜 Primary Scriptural Sources