Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, Thiruputkuzhi
Vishnu as Vijayaraghava Perumal (Rama), with consort Maragathavalli Thayar temple · Thiruputkuzhi, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
The Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple stands in Thiruputkuzhi, a small village in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, off the Chennai–Vellore highway west of Kanchipuram town. Vishnu is worshipped here as Vijayaraghava Perumal, a form of Rama, and his consort as Maragathavalli Thayar. Wikipedia notes that the village itself is known chiefly because of this temple.
The shrine is counted among the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples praised in the hymns of the Alvar poet-saints; Thirumangai Alvar sang of the deity here. It is best known for its link with Jatayu, the bird of the Ramayana, whose last rites Rama is believed to have performed at this spot.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, Thiruputkuzhi
According to the temple legend recorded by Wikipedia, Dinamalar and Daily Thanthi, Jatayu fought Ravana while Sita was being carried away and fell mortally wounded. When Rama and Lakshmana reached him, Jatayu told them what had happened and died, and Rama is believed to have cremated him here. The place-name is traditionally explained from Tamil: 'pul' (bird) and 'kuzhi' (pit), the pit where the rites were held. The temple tank opposite the shrine is called Jatayu Theertham or Jatayu Pushkarini, and tradition holds that Rama created it for water for the rites. A similar legend is also told at the Thirupullabhoothangudi temple, as Wikipedia notes.
The image in the sanctum reflects this story. Dinamalar and Daily Thanthi describe the Lord with Jatayu on his lap or thigh, and both say that, unusually, the positions of Sridevi and Bhudevi are reversed; tradition attributes this to the heat of the funeral pyre. Dinamalar adds that Jatayu is honoured during the Perumal's processions, and that the flagstaff and bali peetha stand outside the temple as a mark of respect to him.
The temple also has a place in Sri Vaishnava history. Wikipedia and Daily Thanthi record that Ramanuja studied here in his early years under Yadava Prakasa, a teacher whom Wikipedia describes as a native of Thiruputkuzhi, and Daily Thanthi says a sculpture in the temple depicts this. Wikipedia adds that Vedanta Desika composed hymns on the presiding deity. Many visitors perform tarpanam (rites for ancestors) at the tank on new-moon days, a custom both Dinamalar and Daily Thanthi describe.
Heritage
History of Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, Thiruputkuzhi
Wikipedia states that the temple is believed to have been begun by the Pandyas, with stone inscriptions pointing to the 13th century, and that the Cholas and the Thanjavur Nayaks contributed later; it also notes three inscriptions of the Chola period. Daily Thanthi gives the same outline: built by Pandya kings in the 13th century and renovated by Chola and Nayak rulers. These dates come from secondary summaries; the inscriptions themselves have not been checked for this page.
Dinamalar puts the temple's age at 500 to 1,000 years. Its Divya Desam status rests on Thirumangai Alvar's hymn on the deity, which places a shrine here in the time of the Alvars, though the present structure is later. Wikipedia records that worship follows the Pancharatra Agama and is conducted by hereditary priests.
Architecture and sacred features
The temple faces east and its shrines are enclosed within a granite wall, with the tank to the west of the complex according to Wikipedia. Sources differ on the height of the entrance tower: Wikipedia describes a five-tiered rajagopuram, while Daily Thanthi gives three tiers, so visitors should see for themselves. Dinamalar names the sanctum tower the Veerakoti vimana. Maragathavalli Thayar has a separate shrine, and there is a sannidhi for Ramanuja; Daily Thanthi mentions Alvar shrines in the ardha mandapa.
The temple's best-known artwork is a stone horse vahana (processional mount). Dinamalar and Daily Thanthi describe it as carved so that the head, tail and legs appear to move, and Dinamalar calls it a wonder of Tamil sculpture. A local story, told by Dinamalar, says the sculptor vowed never to make another horse like it; the Lord is taken along a street named after him on the eighth day of the festival.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
This is a functioning temple with morning and evening worship and a closure in the afternoon. Dress modestly, follow the instructions of the priests and staff, and ask before photographing inside the shrines. New-moon days, when many visitors perform ancestral rites at the tank, and the Masi Brahmotsavam are the temple's special occasions. Confirm current darshan timings and any rules with the temple office or the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department before travelling.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with the temple administration before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, Thiruputkuzhi
Brahmotsavam
The temple's main annual festival, named by Wikipedia and Dinamalar; Dinamalar says the Lord is taken along the street named after the sculptor of the stone horse on the eighth day.
Theppotsavam (float festival)
The festival image of Vijayaraghava Perumal is taken out on the temple tank, Jatayu Theertham.
Pavitrotsavam
Listed by Dinamalar among the temple's annual festivals.
Navaratri
Listed by Dinamalar among the temple's annual festivals.
Thirukarthigai
Festival of lamps, listed by Dinamalar for this temple.
Location
How to Reach Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, Thiruputkuzhi
Dinamalar places the temple about 80 km from Chennai on the Vellore road and about 13 km from Kanchipuram, and advises getting off at the Balu Chetty Chatram stop; Daily Thanthi gives about 11 km from Kanchipuram and a walk of about 1 km from the Balu Chetty Chathiram bus stop, while Wikipedia says the temple is about half a kilometre from Baluchetti Chattiram on the Chennai–Vellore highway.
Kanchipuram is the nearest railway station and Chennai the nearest airport, according to Dinamalar.
Location: Thiruputkuzhi, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Nearest airport: Chennai (per Dinamalar)
Nearest railway station: Kanchipuram (per Dinamalar)
More in Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu · Vishnu as Vijayaraghava Perumal (Rama), with consort Maragathavalli Thayar temples · Temples in Kanchipuram Taluk · Temples in Kanchipuram District
Questions
Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, Thiruputkuzhi: Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the temple at Thiruputkuzhi linked with Jatayu?
According to the temple legend, Rama performed the last rites of Jatayu here after the bird was mortally wounded fighting Ravana. The name is explained from the Tamil words 'pul' (bird) and 'kuzhi' (pit).
Which deity is worshipped at Thiruputkuzhi?
Vishnu is worshipped as Vijayaraghava Perumal, a form of Rama, shown with Jatayu on his lap. His consort is Maragathavalli Thayar, who has a separate shrine.
Is Thiruputkuzhi a Divya Desam?
Yes. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, praised by Thirumangai Alvar.
What is special about the stone horse at Thiruputkuzhi?
Dinamalar and Daily Thanthi describe a stone horse vahana carved so that its head, tail and legs appear to move. A local story says its sculptor vowed never to make another like it.
What is the connection between Thiruputkuzhi and Ramanuja?
Wikipedia and Daily Thanthi record that Ramanuja studied here in his early years under Yadava Prakasa, and Daily Thanthi says a sculpture in the temple depicts this.
How old is the Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple?
Wikipedia says it is believed to be a 13th-century Pandya foundation, based on inscriptions, with later Chola-period inscriptions and Nayak additions.
How far is Thiruputkuzhi from Kanchipuram?
Sources give roughly 11 to 13 km west of Kanchipuram on the Vellore road, near the Balu Chetty Chatram bus stop. Kanchipuram is the nearest railway station.
Sources and attribution
- Wikipedia — Vijayaraghava Perumal temple
- Wikipedia — Thiruputkuzhi
- Dinamalar — Sri Vijaya Raghava Perumal Temple, Tiruputkuzhi
- Daily Thanthi — Thiruputkuzhi Sri Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple (Aalaya Varalaru)
Further reading: Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple, Thiruputkuzhi on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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