Thiruthanka Divya Desam - Deepaprakasa Perumal Temple

• Thiruthanka Divya Desam - Greatness:

• Meditation: I meditate on Sri Deepaprakasa Perumal and Maragadavalli Thayar in Thiruthanka Divya Desam.

• Divya Desam: Thiruthanka is a Divya Desam whose hymn was sung by Thirumangai Alvar.
- Perumal is in standing posture facing West.
- Pratyaksham: Saraswati
- Mangalasasanam: Nammalvar, Thirumangai Alvar (2 Pasurams)
- Vimanam: Srikara Vimanam
- Pushkarini: Saraswati Teertham

• The name Deepaprakasa: Deepa means Lamp (signifying the Source of Light) and Prakasha means Light. The Lord here assumed the form of a huge Light to dispel the darkness during an yagna of Brahma. The symbolic meaning is that the Lord dispels our darkness of ignorance when we invoke him and enable us to do righteous actions.

• Grace:

1. Lord protecting yagna of Brahma by dispelling darkness: Once there was a controversy who among the goddesses Lakshmi or Saraswati is greater. Indra took the side of goddess Lakshmi. Lord Brahma also favoured goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Saraswati became angry and left the abode of Lord Brahma. Later, once Lord Brahma started performing a yagna meditating on Lord Vishnu. Goddess Saraswati then started creating impediments in the yagna by enveloping the place with darkness. Lord Vishnu appeared as a great Light and dispelled the darkness. Hence the Lord is known as Deepaprakasa.

• Thiruthanka Divya Desam - Places to see:

1. Image of Lord Vishnu: The Image of Sri Deepaprakasa Perumal in standing posture facing West.

2. Image of Thayar: The Image of Maragadavalli Thayar.

3. Vimana of the temple: The Vimana of the temple known as Srikara Vimana.

4. Pushkarini of the temple: The Pushkarini of the temple known as Saraswati Teertham.

• Thiruthanka Divya Desam - Location:

• Thiruthanka is located in Kanchipuram in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu. The temple can be visited from Kanchipuram.

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