Introduction :

 The 108  temples In which Alzhwars , the holy saints of Vaishnavism sang hymns in praise of Lord Vishnu, they have been elevated to the status of a Thirupathy. Bramanda-purana identifies 108 of them. However 

Among the 108 Thirupathys only 102 temples are known to exist physically on this earth and in tact. Of the rest some are in ruins and cannot be identified.
The last three are beyond the realms of this earth- in the heavens. These are Par-kadal (ocean of milk) , Vaikundam (abode of sri Narayana and Sri lakshmi) Paramapatham ( the ultimate - the origin and the end). When the soul is liberated through god realisation "Paramapadam" is its destination. God realization comes through directly experiencing the presence of god by worshiping truthfully. God incarnates on the earth to fulfill two purpose: First to inspire and secondly to liberate.
He inspires mankind through examples. He willingly takes upon himself all human limitations. Then through intense spiritual practice he goes beyond them and manifests His spiritual perfection. He goes through various spiritual disciplines and thereby manifests his perfection to set an example for mankind, just as a hen which even when not hungry picks and gobbles up birdseed just to teach its young ones how to eat; so also a divine Incarnation for sake of mankind, goes through various spiritual austerities in order to teach us how to attain perfection through spiritual practice.

The aim of the Gita propounded in the Krishna avathar is not so much to teach a theory as to enforce practice of dharma. We cannot separate in theory what is not separable in life. The duties of civic and social life provide religion with its tasks and opportunities.

OM TAT SAT SARVAM SRI KRISHNAR-PANA-MASTHU.

Home

Kannan at Thirukanakudi

Name of this place	Thirukannakudi
Deity in sanctum	Loganatha perumal (and Neelamega vannan - east facing in standing pose )
Diety for festivals	Dhamodhara Narayanan with Sri devi and Boo devi keeping left hand on his hip
Consort of Vishnu in sanctum	Aravindha-Nayaki
Tower is called	Udbalavidhaga-vimanam
Holi tank	Sravana-pushkarani
Devotee who has seen the god here	Brahma, Gowdhamar,King Upari Saravasu Vasishtar, Brugu and Thiru Mangai Alwar
Sthala Viruksham (tree)	Vakula tree - other name is Makila tree

Legend:

This temple, one of five Krishna temples (Pancha-Krishna) has a huge tower in five stages.Two corridors give access into the temple and four Mandaps inside. There is a peculiar custom by which on the seventh day of the Chitra festival the god is decorated with holy ash on its forehead. All the vaishnavate devotees also have the holy ash on their foreheads on this day. Wearing the holy ash is a saivaite custom. This is an excellant example to symbolise that Hari and Siva are both one and the same. The King Ubarisaravasu was a devotee of Lord Siva. He used to go to siva temple every day before sunrise. One day he was a little late. So in hurry he entered the Thirukannakudi Vishnu temple. He did not know that the temple was a vaishnavaite one. Every body was amazed looking at him. But he did not notice any one and went fast to the sanctum. Lord Vishnu took pity on the king and wanting to help him do his pooja to Siva in time before sunrise amazingly gave dharshan to him as Siva. The king did pooja and wore the holy ash on his fore head and came out. The people were watching him inquisitively and asked how he came to Vishnu temple instead of a Siva temple. Surprised he turned and saw that the god he had worshiped was sitting on his mount Garuda with Sridevi and Boodevi. The king ran into the sanctum and with great fervour worshiped Lord Vishnu for his miraculous deed. From that day on vaishnavaites wear ash on their foreheads on the seventh day of the festival of god Loganatha-perumal in the month of 'Chitrai' (April) On the south bank of the tank there is another shrine for Loganatha perumal. The idol is in a sitting pose here. A devotee must have a darshan of the diety here after visiting the main temple. Loganadha perumal is inspirational to all the mankind for their unity. Important Information: There are five Krishna Kshetrams Thirukannakudi Thirukkannamangai Thirukannapuram Kabisthalam  Thirukoilure              Home

Kalyana Narayana at Dwaraka

Temple features:
Name of this place	Dwaraka
Deity in sanctum	Kalyana Narayanan west facing standing pose
Consort of Vishnu in sanctum	Sri Kalyana-Thayar, Ashta-Mahishi and Sri Rukmini devi
Tower is called	Sri Hemakooda- Vimanam
Holi tank	River Gomathi
Devotees who have seen the god here	Drowpathi and citizens of Dwaraka
Devotional song sung on the deity by	Thirumangai-alzhwar Namalzhwar, Periyalzhwar Thirumazhisai alzwhar and Sri Andal.
Legend says that because of demon Jarachanda's botheration there was no peace in Madura. Hence Sri Krishna wished to construct a kingdom in the middle of the ocean.The Lord invited king of the ocean and requested him for some place so that he could construct a kingdom in it. Later at the end of the yuga before the lord left from this world he would surrender the place to the king of the ocean . Accordingly Samudra-raja gave some place to the Lord. Sri Krishna asked Viswakarma to construct a kingdom for him and he did so. It was named Dwaraka. Sri Krishna shiffted to Dwaraka with his brother Balarama. Sri Krishna married Sri Rukmini . The Lord ruled over the kingdom. He killed Jarachandhan and other Rakshasas and protected the citizens of Madura and Gokulam. At last at the end of his incarnation he handed over the kingdom of Dwaraka to king of the ocean as he had promised and the kingdom sank into the ocean. The present temple in Gujarat state was built one thousand and five hundred years ago. But it is not known who built this temple. The sailors of Oga harbour ferry the people to the middle of the sea to an island in which there is a temple called Dwaraknatji. This moving world is a creation of the Lord. the Divine accepts the world and acts in it; Vartha eva ca Karmani" From this cosmic end the supreme is Isvara, the highest person Purushothama the lord of the universe who dwells in the heart of every creature.   Om Sreem Narayanaya Namo Namaha   Location: This Temple is located in Gujarat state on the banks of river Kabila. Home

Balakrishna at Mathura

Temple features:
Name of this place	Mathura
Deity in sanctum	Balakrishna east facing standing pose
Consort of Vishnu in sanctum	Sri Satyabama-Thayar
Tower is called	Sri Govardhana- Vimanam
Holi tank	Indira-Theertham, Govardhana-Theertham and River Yamuna
Devotees who have seen the god here	Gopis, Indiradhi devas, Vasudever, Devaki,Yasodha and Kamsa
Devotional song sung on the deity by	Thirumangai-alzhwar,Namazhwar, Periyalzhawar Andal Thondaradi-Podiyar
Legend: This is again recalling epic Ramayana. Once upon a time there was a kingdom called Madu and was ruled by a demon named Lavanasuran.He was very cruel and troubling all sages and citizens of Madu. One day all the citizens and sages went to Sri Rama and appealed to him to solve their problems. Rama sent his brother Satrukana and he destroyed the demon . After that Satrukana made the kingdom very big and he ruled over it for many years later the kingdom passed on to the heirs of Vasudeva. Sri Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva but was brought up by Yasodha. There are very many aspects to him. As a child he played his pranks in Gokulam. He was a cow-herd. He saved the city from a deluge by raising Govardahana hill as an umbrella. He was the solace, adviser and messenger to the Pandavas. His life from an young age was in destroying evil - Boothaki, Kamsa, and then the 100 Duryodhana brothers. He revealed Gita to Arjuna. He was a preacher to the whole world .   Cetasa sarvakarmani Mayi samnyasa matparah Buddiyogam upasritya Maccittah satatam bhava.   Meaning:- Surrendering in thought all actions to me. regarding me as the supreme and resorting to steadfastness in understanding, do thou fix thy thought constantly on me. Essence of this:- "Be always one with me in heart, will and consciousness." A perfect self-giving to the Universal Lord makes him the spirit of our life.   Om Sreem Narayanaya Namo Namaha Location: This place is enroute from Madras to Delhi and the temple is located 8kms from Mathura railway station Home

Sri Moorthi at Salagramam

Temple features:
Name of this place	Salagramam
Deity in sanctum	Sri Moorthi north facing standing pose
Consort of Vishnu in sanctum	Sri Devi
Tower is called	Sri Kanaga -Vimanam
Holi tank	River Kantaki
Devotees who have seen the god here	Brahma, Sivan, and Kantaki
Devotional song sung on the deity by	Periyalzhwar
Legend: Thulasi ardently desired to become the consort of Sri Narayana and was in deep penance for over 1000 years. But she married Sanga-choodan, an aspect of Narayana but of 'asura' descent. He was sage-like and very pious. He established a great empire covering this world and the heavens. All 'devas' panicked at his ascendancy and prayed to Rudhra to destroy him There ensued a fight between Rudhra and Sanga-Chooda. The power of Tulasi's chastity and devotion to her husband was the armour protecting Sanga-chooda. Mid-way in the war Vishnu impersonating Sanga-Chooda went to Tulasi and outraged her modesty. With her chastity gone the protection to sanga-chooda was lost and he died in the war. Tulasi realized that the person who got intimate with her was not her husband Sanga-chooda but Sri Narayana. She cursed Narayana that he would become a stone - a hill. Narayana explained to Tulasi that he came to her in the garb of her husband only in answer to her penance earlier praying to become his consort. However Narayana became a hill according to Tulasi's curse. For their association to be more permanent, Narayana said that Tulasi would become a river washing the foot of that hill which he himself became as hill.. Thus Tulasi became the river 'Kantaki' and Narayana became the 'Saligrama' hill Narayana further said that millions of insects would bore into the hill side and chisel small 'saligrama' that would fall into the Kandagi river. People all over would take these home and worhship them as a representation of Narayana   Om Sreem Narayanaya Namo Namaha   Location: This temple is located in nepal on the banks of river Kantaki.                                     Home

Badri-Narayanan at Badri-Nath

Temple features:
Name of this place	Badri-Nath
Deity in sanctum	Badri-Narayanan east facing sitting pose
Consort of Vishnu in sanctum	Aravindhavalli-Nachiyar
Tower is called	Sri Dapthakancha -Vimanam
Holi tank	Daptha-Kundam
Devotees who have seen the god here	Nara- Narayanan
Devotional song sung on the deity by	Thirumangai-alzhwar & Periyalzhwar
Legend: This Vishnu abode is a very famous one. The Lord is self-incarnated here. Sri vishnu is showing all his differant aspects here. The Lord is the preceptor and at the same time he is the disciple. He is the god as well as a human being and so on. He is the supreme but he is also the humble   "Om poorna-madah Poorna-midam Poornaat Poorna-mudachyate | Poornasya Poorna-maadaaya Poorna-mevaa-vasishyate ||" Meaning: What is zero is zero ; What has come out of zero is also zero When zero is taken out of zero , zero still remains zero.   This is the supreme aspect of Paramathma.   Om Sreem Narayanaya Namo Namaha   Location: This temple is located 10,500 ft from the sea level in Mountain Himalayas                                         Home

Prahaladha-Varadhan at Foot hill Ahobilam

Temple features:
Name of this place	Foot hill Ahobilam
Deity in sanctum	Prahaladha-Varadhan east facing Bujanga Sayanam
Consort of Vishnu in sanctum	Sri Amirdhavalli-Thayar
Deity for festivals	9 deities Narasimha
Consort for festivals	Sri Senjulakshmi-Thayar
Tower is called	Sri Gugai- Vimanam
Holi tank	Indira-Theertham, Narasima-Theertham Pabahara-Theertham Gajatheertham and Pargava-Theertham
Devotees who have seen the god here	Garudan and first Jeear
Devotional song sung on the deity by	Thirumangai-alzhwar
Legend: Once Garuda wished to have the darshan of Vishnu as in Sri Narasimah avathar. So he did penance here for a long time. Once again Sri Vishnu appeared before him as Sri Narasimha. The Lord re-enacted the 9 differant aspects of the Narasimha avathar like, his appearence out of the pillar, the killing of Hiranya, his becoming a "santha-swaroopi" etc. to Garuda. One can see all the nine poses of Narasima here. So it is called Nava Narasimah Kshetram. This place is also called Garudachalam because the Lord's mount Garuda did penance here.   The Hill top temple Temple features: Name of this place Hill top Ahobilam Deity in sanctum Ahobilam Narasimhar east facing Bujanga Sayanam Consort of Vishnu in sanctum Sri Lakshmi-Thayar Tower is called Sri Gugai-Vimanam Holi tank Pabahara-Theertham, Devotees who have seen the god here Garudan and Baktha Prahaladha Devotional song sung on the deity by Thirumangai-alzhwar Legend: In Thredha yuga when Hiranya-Kasibu was ruling over his country he had ordered all his subjects and all around him to pray to himself and not to any god. Hence he was much annoyed by the devotion of his son Prahalada to lord Narayana whom he considered as his enemy. Prahalada was ill-treated and tortured to forget god Narayana. But nothing made the child forget the Lord. The rakshasa Hiranya-kasibu lost all his patience and one day in irritation asked Prahalatha "Ok my boy where is that god Narayana ? Can you show me"? "yes" said Prahalada"He is everywhere and anywhere". The Rakshasa asked his son pointing to a pillar "is he in this pillar ?" "yes he is in this pillar" said the son. Immediately the rakshasa took his huge club and hit the pillar. The pillar broke into two pieces and from it appeared Narasimha neither a human nor an animal. The strange being had the body of a human but the face of a lion. It took the Rakshasa on his lap and tore him to death with its claws. Thus came to end the evil called Hiranya-kasibu. God took Narasimha avathar only to kill evil. One can see the piller that Narasimah appeared in this temple.   Om Sreem Narayanaya Namo Namaha   Location: This temple is located 85 kms from Cuddapah railway station in Andra-Pradesh India.                                                                        Home