King Indrajumnan was a devout Vishnu worshipper, deeply immersed in prayers and always seeking the Lord’s blessings before undertaking any action. His devotion was so intense that during his meditation, he would not entertain any visitors, and none would disturb him.
One day, during his puja, Sage Durvasa, known for his fiery temperament, arrived to meet the king but was forced to wait. Unable to meet the king, Durvasa entered the king's meditation room and stood before him. The king, engrossed in his prayers, did not notice the sage's presence. Infuriated by this, Durvasa cursed the king, declaring that he would be reborn as an elephant due to his pride in his devotion.
When the king emerged from his meditation and saw the sage, he humbly sought forgiveness. Moved by the king’s earnest repentance, Durvasa modified the curse, saying that even in his next life as an elephant, the king would remain a devoted Vishnu worshipper. He added that a crocodile would seize the elephant's leg while bathing, and the Lord would come to his aid when he called out "Aadhi Moolame." Durvasa assured the king that he would be freed from the curse and attain salvation.
Meanwhile, a demon named Koohoo, who lived in a tank, would pull the legs of those bathing there, causing much distress. Sage Agastya fell victim to this demon and, in anger, cursed him to become a crocodile. The demon pleaded for relief, and the sage told him he would be freed from the curse when he caught hold of Gajendra, the elephant. Lord Vishnu would then come to Gajendra’s rescue, and the curse would be lifted.
The curses of both sages converged at Kapila Theertham, located east of the temple. When Gajendra, in his elephant form, was seized by the crocodile, he cried out "Aadhi Moolame" for relief. True to the sage’s words, Lord Vishnu rushed to his aid, vanquished the crocodile, and saved Gajendra, granting him liberation and fulfilling the divine promise.
Puranic Significance 1 :
King Indrajumnan was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu, deeply immersed in his worship. His devotion was so intense that he would not engage in any activity without first praying to the Lord, and during his meditation, he would neither entertain visitors nor grant audiences.
One day, during his puja, Sage Durvasa, known for his fiery temperament, came to see the king but was forced to wait. Unable to meet the king for a long time, Durvasa entered the king's meditation room and stood before him. The king, engrossed in his prayers, did not notice the sage’s presence. Infuriated by this neglect, Durvasa cursed the king to be reborn as an elephant due to his pride in his devotion.
When the king emerged from his meditation and saw the sage, he humbly sought forgiveness, holding the sage’s feet. Moved by his genuine repentance, Durvasa modified the curse, stating that even as an elephant, the king would remain a devoted worshipper of Vishnu. He added that a crocodile would seize the elephant’s leg while bathing in a tank, and Vishnu would come to his rescue when he cried out "Aadhi Moolame." Durvasa assured the king that he would be relieved from the curse and attain salvation.
In the temple tank at this location, a demon named Koohoo resided, who tormented those bathing there. Sage Agasthya, having been harassed by Koohoo, cursed him to be reborn as a crocodile. The demon pleaded for relief, and the sage decreed that he would be freed from the curse when he caught the legs of Gajendra, the elephant. Lord Vishnu would then intervene to rescue Gajendra, and the curse would be lifted.
The curses of both sages converged at Kapila Theertham, located east of the temple. When Gajendra, in his elephant form, was seized by the crocodile, he called out "Aadhi Moolame" for help. True to the sage’s words, Lord Vishnu arrived, defeated the crocodile with his discus, and saved Gajendra, granting him liberation and fulfilling the divine promise.
Puranic Significance 2 :
The Gajendra Varadha Perumal Temple, located in Thirukandiyur, a village near Thiruvaiyaru in TamilNadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Maha Vishnu. The temple, built in the Dravidian architectural style, is celebrated in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon composed by the Azhwar saints from the 6th to 9th centuries AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesams, sacred shrines dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped here as Gajendra Varadha, with his consort Lakshmi known as Ramanavalli.
This temple is also one of the five Pancha-Kannan temples, where Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, is prominently venerated alongside the main deity. It is believed to have been constructed by the Medieval Cholas in the late 8th century AD, with subsequent contributions from the Vijayanagar kings and the Madurai Nayaks.
A granite wall encircles the temple, encompassing its various shrines and water bodies. The temple is associated with several divine figures: Vishnu, who appeared to Gajendra the elephant (also known as Indrajumnan), the crocodile Koohoo, Sage Parashara, and Sri Anjaneya (Hanuman).
The legend highlights Vishnu’s compassion and intervention. When Gajendra, who was trying to pluck a flower for worship, was caught by the crocodile, he called out to Vishnu for help. Unable to free himself, Gajendra raised his trunk to the sky, invoking Vishnu’s aid. Responding to Gajendra’s plea, Vishnu descended from his celestial abode on Garuda and rescued the elephant, freeing him from the crocodile's grip. Vishnu then granted Gajendra moksha (liberation), acknowledging his devotion.
The moral of this story emphasises that regardless of one's status, be it a human or a non-human, surrendering to God will bring divine assistance and relief. The temple, revered as a place where Vishnu manifests in various forms, including as Sri Rama for Anjaneya and as Krishna for Gajendra, is also known as "Krishnaraya Kshetram" due to its association with Krishna by the riverside.
Legend of Sri Gajendra Varadha Perumal Temple :
According to Hindu legend, King Indrajuman was a fervent devotee of Lord Vishnu, deeply immersed in his worship. Despite his devotion, he neglected to strengthen his army and lost his kingdom. During his prayers, he failed to notice the presence of Sage Durvasa (or, in some sources, Sage Agastya) who came by. Annoyed by this oversight, the sage cursed the king to be reborn as an elephant.
Realising his mistake and seeking forgiveness, the king apologised to the sage. Moved by his sincerity, the sage modified the curse, declaring that the king would remain a devoted follower of Vishnu even in his next life as an elephant. The sage also assured that Vishnu would bestow his grace upon him.
At this site, a demon named Koohoo lived in the temple tank and troubled those who bathed there. This demon was cursed by a sage to be reborn as a crocodile. In his new life, as the elephant Gajendra, the king continued his devotion to Vishnu. While drinking water from the tank, Gajendra’s leg was seized by the crocodile Koohoo. Desperate for help, Gajendra called out to Vishnu, invoking the name “Adimulam.”
Responding to Gajendra’s plea, Vishnu sent his discus to defeat the crocodile. By Vishnu’s grace, both Gajendra and Koohoo were restored to their human forms. As Vishnu came to save Gajendra, he earned the name Gajendra Varadar.
Additionally, Hanuman, the monkey lieutenant of Rama (an incarnation of Vishnu), worshipped Vishnu at this place. Consequently, the site came to be known as Kabisthalam, with "Kabi" in Tamil meaning "monkey."
The Sri Gajendra Varadha Perumal Temple is honoured in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, with a hymn composed by Thirumazhisai Alwar.
Information on the Deity :
The main deity of Sri Gajendra Varadha Perumal Temple is Sri Gajendra Varadhan, who is depicted in a reclining posture known as Bhujanga Sayanam. The deity faces the East direction, embodying a serene and protective presence.
Sri Gajendra Varadhan is revered for his divine intervention in rescuing Gajendra, the elephant, and is believed to grant special blessings to devotees. He is also considered the direct divine presence for Anjaneyar (Hanuman) and is honoured as the Bhaktha Elephant for Gajendran.
The Thayaar (consort) of the temple is Ramamani Valli (Potramaraiyaal), who is worshipped alongside Sri Gajendra Varadhan, complementing the divine presence with grace and benevolence.