Gajendra Varadha Perumal Temple stands in Kabisthalam, Tamil Nadu, honours Gajendra Varadha Perumal with consort Ramamanivalli Thayar. It is also known as Thirukavithalam, Thirukkavithalam Gajendra Varadar Temple.
It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham composed by the Alvar poet saints, praised here by Thirumalisai Alvar. The temple commemorates the Gajendra Moksha story, in which Vishnu rescued the elephant king Gajendra, reborn from King Indradyumna, after his leg was seized by the crocodile Kuhu while drinking from the temple tank. It is considered unique among the Divya Desams as the only site where Vishnu descended specifically to rescue an animal rather than a sage, celestial being or demon. Local legend identifies the presiding deity's devotee, King Indradyumna (also called Indrajuman in some accounts), as having lost his kingdom after neglecting his army while absorbed in worship of Vishnu, and being cursed by the sage Durvasa to be reborn as an elephant.
Tamil Nadu carries a distinct temple identity of its own: Land of towering gopurams and living Dravidian temple traditions, from the Chola masterpieces to the great Pancha Bhoota Sthalas.
Darshan hours and daily worship
| Session | Timing (as published) |
|---|---|
| Morning | 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Evening | 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM |
Hours are corroborated by an independent temple-survey source (TN Temples Project field visit) in addition to several temple-directory listings; the temple's Google Maps Business listing gives a closely similar schedule (8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM), loosely corroborating the figures above within about an hour. No HR&CE-specific page could be located for this temple, so confirm locally before visiting.
Poojas and daily rituals
Six daily rituals are observed: Ushathkalam (7 AM), Kalasanthi (8 AM), Uchikalam (12 PM), Sayarakshai (6 PM), Irandamkalam (7 PM) and Ardha Jamam (8 PM), each with alangaram, neivethanam and deepa aradanai
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Gajendra Moksha Leela | Tamil month Adi (July-August) | The most prominent festival, re-enacting the Gajendra Moksha legend |
| Chariot Festival | Tamil month Vaikasi (May-June), on Visakam star | |
| Brahmmotsavam | Annual |
History and architecture
Architecture
Dravidian style with a five tiered rajagopuram and a single precinct enclosed by a brick wall. The main deity Gajendra Varadar is enshrined in a reclining posture called Bhujanga sayanam beneath a vimana known as Ganganakrutha Vimanam, with additional shrines for Yoga Narasimhar, Sudarsana, Garuda and the Alvars
History
Local legend identifies the presiding deity's devotee, King Indradyumna (also called Indrajuman in some accounts), as having lost his kingdom after neglecting his army while absorbed in worship of Vishnu, and being cursed by the sage Durvasa to be reborn as an elephant. The village name Kabisthalam is said to derive from kabi, meaning monkey in Tamil, since Hanuman is also said to have worshipped here. The temple is counted among the Pancha Krishna sthalams, alongside Thirukannamangai, Thirukannapuram, Thirukovilur and Thirukannangudi, and is also called a Pancha Kannan temple, where the Krishna form is given prominence alongside the presiding deity.
Planning your visit
How to reach
Kabisthalam is about 3 km from Papanasam and around 19 to 20 km from Thiruvaiyaru, Kumbakonam and Thanjavur; the nearest railway station is Papanasam
Where this information comes from
Confidence: Low. Darshan timings (7 am to 12 pm and 5 to 7:30 pm) are corroborated by a dedicated temple-survey source (TN Temples Project) and loosely by the temple's Google Maps Business listing, closing that part of the gap, though no HR&CE-specific page was found; the founding king's name still appears inconsistently across sources as Indradyumna, Indradyumnan or Indrajuman, so confidence stays low