Malayankulam Temple: During this time, the strong Vijayanagara Empire ruled over a vast area of southern India. Veetrirunda Perumal, a modest temple devoted to Vishnu, may be found in the village of Malayankulam. Sri Parankusha Yathindra Maha Desikan, the third Pontiff (Jiyar) of the Ahobila Math, established this shrine. He was born in Malayankulam and converted to sanyasa around 1473 A.D. His portrait is still cherished within the temple’s main sanctum.
This historical setting coincided with the reign of the strong Vijayanagara Empire over a large portion of southern India. Sri Parankusha Yathindra Maha Desikan also had strong ties to Kanchipuram’s venerable Varadaraja Perumal temple, one of the revered one hundred and eight Divya Desams, or sacred places dedicated to Lord Vishnu, as extolled in the Tamil verses of the Azhvars, devoted followers of Vishnu.
Veetrirunda Perumal, the principal deity of the Malayankulam temple, was consecrated during the Vishaka nakshatra (asterism) in the month of Kartikai (mid-November to mid-December), and as a result, the Avatara Utsavam is held annually on this auspicious nakshatram.
The temple, which faces east, lacks a towering gopuram and only has a tiny entranceway. A massive deepa-stambha beside this entrance was originally used for igniting lights to illuminate the shrine. Veetrirunda Perumal, the principal god within the central sanctuary, is sitting in Ardha Padmasana pose, with one leg resting on the ground and the other bent at the knee and put on the pitham (pedestal) on which He is seated.
In the top left and right hands, the god holds the Sankha (conch) and Chakra (discus), respectively, while the lower right hand is in abhaya hasta (blessed devotees) and the lower left hand is in ahvana hasta (beckoning worshippers). The Goddesses Sridevi (Lakshmi) and Bhudevi (Goddess of the Earth) flank Perumal on either side. Narayanan is the name given to the Utsava-murthi (processional image). The vimanam (tower above the shrine) is named Punyakoti Vimanam, and it is similar to the vimanam of Kanchipuram’s renowned Varadaraja Perumal temple.
Other deities worshipped in the passage leading to the main shrine are Andal, Vishvaksena, Nammazhvar, and the Srivaishnava Acharyas, Ramanujacharya and Vedanta Desika. A remarkable stone bas-relief sculpture of Sudarsana (Chakrattazhvar), the incarnation of Lord Vishnu’s discus (Chakra), shown in a standing posture, flanked by his consorts, Vijayavalli and Sudarsanavalli, is located near the main temple. The Kannadi Arai (chamber of mirrors) is a contemporary addition to the front mandapa. Another stone bas-relief panel nearby depicts Rama’s Pattabhiseka (coronation). The Kamalavalli Thayar shrine, dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, is located near to the main shrine.
