Artistic representation of the Maharishi Bhrigu.

The Pancha Kshetrams (Sanskrit: पञ्च क्षेत्रम्, romanized: Pañca Kṣetram, lit. 'Five abodes/stages of Vishnu') or Pancha Bhargavi Kshethram is a group of five sacred Hindu temples in India, dedicated the deity Vishnu and Lakshmi With the legend associated to the Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala. All the temples are Divya desams except one which is an Abhimana Kshethram.

Legend

During Kali Yuga, Narada advised some sages who were performing yagna to decide who could be given the fruits of yagna among Trimurtis (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva). Bhrigu was sent to test the Trinity. The sage who had an extra eye in the sole of his foot visited Brahma and Shiva and went unnoticed in both these locations. He cursed Brahma to be not worshipped and Shiva to be worshipped as a lingam. At last he visited Vishnu and the lord acts as if he had not noticed Bhrigu. Getting angered by this act, sage Bhrigu kicked Vishnu in the chest, to which Vishnu did not react and instead apologised to the Sage by massaging his feet. During this act, he squashed the extra eye that was present in the sole of Bhrigu's foot. However Lakshmi finds it as an insult since Vishnu's chest was considered as Lakshmi's residence (vakshasthala) and Bhrigu kicked it which indirectly insulted Lakshmi. She then left Vaikuntha and came to Earth to Tirumala and started meditating in human form as Padmavati.^[1]

Vishnu bore human form as Srinivasa, left Vaikuntha, in search of Lakshmi, reached the Seshachalam hills in Tirumala and started meditating. Lakshmi learned of the condition of Srinivasa and called Shiva and Brahma. Shiva and Brahma then converted themselves into a Cow and a Calf and Lakshmi had handed over the cow and calf to the Chola king ruling over Tirumala Hills at that time. The Cow would provide milk to Srinivasa daily while it was taken for grazing. One day, a cowherd saw this and tried to beat the Cow with his staff but Srinivasa had borne the injury and Srinivasa kills the cowherd. Getting angered by this Srinivasa had cursed the Chola king to become a Demon as dharma says sins committed by servants should be borne by their employers. The king prayed for mercy after which Srinivasa said to him, that the King should take next birth as Akasharaja and should perform marriage of his foster-daughter Padmavati with Srinivasa.^[2]

Srinivasa went to his foster-mother Vakula Devi on Tirumala hills and stayed there for a while. After curse, the Chola king took rebirth as Akasharaja and he had a foster-daughter named Padmavati who is the human form of Lakshmi, who took this form in the Padmapushkarini situated at present day Tiruchanur at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. Srinivasa married Padmavati at present day Narayanavanam in Andhra Pradesh and returned to Tirumala Hills. After few months, Goddess Lakshmi and God Vishnu had discovered the marriage of Srinivasa with Padamavati and went to Tirumala hills to question Srinivasa and Padmavati. Srinivasa, unable to bear the quarrel between Lakshmi, Vishnu and Padmavati, turned into stone right when he was encountered by Lakshmi, Vishnu and Padmavati. Brahma and Shiva appeared before the confused deities and explain the main purpose behind all this - The Lord and Lordess's desire to be on the seven hills for the emancipation of mankind from the perpetual troubles of Kali Yuga. Goddesses Lakshmi and Padmavati with God Vishnu a

aledso turn into stone deities expressing their wish to be always there. Lakshmi stays with Him on His Chest on the left side while Pdmavathi rests on His Chest's rig with Vishnu also present.t side.

Padmavati got her memories and was still angry with Vishnu. In the meanwhile, the sage Bhrigu sought his apology and requested Lakshmi to be born to him in more 4 places which are Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem Bhrigu as Bhrigu, Nachiyar Koil Bhrigu as Medhavi Maharishi, Oppiliappan temple Bhrigu as Markandeya Maharishi and Sarangapani temple, Kumbakonam Bhrigu as Hema Maharishi.^[3][4][5]

The five Temples

Tirumala

Salem

Thirunarayur

Thirunageswaram

Thirukudandhai

Pancha Kshethram locations

Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is under control of Andhra Pradesh Government. The head of TTD is appointed by Andhra Pradesh Government. The rest four temples in Tamil Nadu are maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The presiding deities are revered in the 5th century Tamil Vaishnavate canonical work, the Divya Prabandham, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Alvars and classified as Divya desam except one Deity which is one of the 108 Abhimana sthalam.

Name of the Sacred place	Perumal	Temple	Photo	Location	Details
Tirumala	Padmavathi Nachiyar Sametha Srinivasa Perumal	Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala		Tirumala 13°40′59.7″N 79°20′49.9″E / 13.683250°N 79.347194°E / 13.683250; 79.347194	The Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared on the earth to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Hence the place has also got the name Kaliyuga Vaikuntha and the deity here is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam. The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple. Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa.[6]
Sri Sailam	Sundaravalli Nachiyar Sametha Sundararaja Perumal	Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem		Salem, 11°39′N 78°09′E / 11.65°N 78.15°E / 11.65; 78.15	Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem (also known as Kottai Perumal Koil) is located on the banks of the Thirumanimutharu river at Salem, Tamil nadu, India.[7] It is considered as an Abhimana sthalam of Lord Vishnu and one of the Pancha Kshethram where Maha Lakshmi was born as Bhargavi- the daughter of Maharishi Bhrigu. The other four temples of the Pancha Kshethram are Sarangapani temple, Kumbakonam, Oppiliappan temple, Nachiyar Koil and Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala.[7] The temple is believed to be of significant antiquity with contributions at different times from Medieval Cholas, Vijayanagara Empire, Chera, Pandyas and Madurai Nayaks. The temple follows Vaikhanasa agama and the temple priests perform the pooja rituals during festivals and on a daily basis. The priests belong to the Vadakalai sect of Vaishnavism, a Brahmin sub-caste.
Nachiyar Koil	Vanchulavalli Nachiyar sametha Naraiyur Nambi Perumal	Nachiyar Koil		Nachiyar Koil 10°55′N 79°26′E / 10.917°N 79.433°E / 10.917; 79.433	Nachiyar Kovil or Thirunarayur Nambi Temple is a Hindu temple in Thirunarayur, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi. It is the sub urban region of business city of Kumbakonam. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th to 9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Srinivasa Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Nachiyar. The temple is the place where god Vishnu is believed to have initiated Pancha Samskara (religious initiation) to Thirumangai Alvar. The temple follows the Tenkalai mode of worship.
Thirunageswaram	Bhooma Devi Sametha Oppiliappan Perumal	Oppiliappan temple		Thirunageswaram, Tamil nadu 10°57′41.63″N 79°25′53.73″E / 10.9615639°N 79.4315917°E / 10.9615639; 79.4315917	Oppiliappan Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located near Thirunageswaram and also known by its old toponym Thiruvinnagar, a village in the outskirts of the Kumbakonam in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is counted as the 60th of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu. Vishnu is worshiped as Oppiliappan and his consort Lakshmi as Bhudevi. The temple is believed to be of significant antiquity and to have been initiated by the Medieval Cholas of the late 8th century CE, with later contributions at different times from Thanjavur Nayaks. The temple has two inscriptions dating from the Chola period, a five-tiered rajagopuram (gateway tower), and a granite wall. The complex contains all the shrines and water bodies associated with it.
Thirukudandhai	Komalavalli Nachiyar Sametha Sarangapani Perumal	Sarangapani temple, Kumbakonam		Kumbakonam 10°57′34″N 79°22′29″E / 10.95944°N 79.37472°E / 10.95944; 79.37472	Sarangapani Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars.[8] This temple is along Kaveri and is one of the Pancharanga Kshetrams.[9] The temple is believed to be of significant antiquity with contributions at different times from Medieval Cholas, Vijayanagara Empire and Madurai Nayaks. The temple is enshrined within a huge granite wall and the complex contains all the shrines and the water bodies of the temple. The rajagopuram (the main gateway) has eleven tiers and has a height of 173 ft (53 m). The Potramarai tank, the temple tank, is located opposite to the western entrance of the temple.

References