Temple with idols of deities made of wood

CHENNAI: The Trivikrama Perumal (Ulagalanda Perumal) temple in Thirukoilur (Thirukovalur) is a well-known Vishnu shrine and one of the 108 Divya Desams or sacred Vishnu temples praised in the Tamil verses of the Azhvars or the important Vaishnava devotees. This temple has received the encomiums of Pey Azhvar, Bhoodatazhvar, Poigai Azhvar and Thirumangai Azhvar. The inscriptions in this temple register the ancient names of Thirukoilur as Kovalur, Thirukovalur and Madhurantaka-Chaturvedimangalam.

The huge and majestic image of Trivikrama, with his left foot upraised, faces east and is enshrined under the Srikara Vimanam. He is in the unusual pose of having the Shanka in the right hand and the Chakra in the left hand whereas in most Vishnu images, the Chakra is held in Vishnu’s right hand and the Sankha in the left hand. To Trivikrama Perumal’s right, stand Mahalakshmi, Prahlada and Mahabali. Underneath the foot of Perumal is Namichi and next to the upraised foot is Brahma. To Trivikrama’s left are Sukracharya — guru of the Asuras — Garuda, Mrikandu Maharishi and his wife, and the three Azhvars — Pey Azhvar, Bhudattazhvar and Poigai Azhvar. All these images are of wood. The processional image (utsava-murti) is Aayanaar or Kovalan (Gopalan). Behind the main sanctum is a small shrine for Vamana.

Goddess Lakshmi is enshrined as Poonkovai Nachiyar also known as Pushpavalli Thayar. Goddess Durga is also worshipped here. There is a shrine for Krishna near the gopuram which is considered very important. There are numerous inscriptions of the Chola, Pandya and Vijayanagara eras. An important 11th Century inscription belonging to the reign of Rajendra Chola II mentions that this temple, which had been constructed partly by bricks, had become dilapidated, and a certain ruler called Ranakesari Raman pulled down the building, reconstructed the central shrine and the mandapa entirely of black granite and also donated liberally to this temple.