Photograph of Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu (placeholder; a real photo has not been added yet)

Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple Timings

Published darshan hours for Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple vary; see the timings below and reconfirm with the temple before visiting.

Ashtabhuja Perumal, an eight armed form of Vishnu also known as Adikesava Perumal, shown holding a sword, shield, mace, bow, arrow, lotus, conch and chakra, with consort Padmasani Thayar (also referred to in sources as Pushpavalli or Alamelumangai) · Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu

108 Divya DesamsVishnuLow confidence
Darshan hours (as published)
See hours below
Open/closed status loads once the page finishes rendering.

Set in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple is dedicated to Ashtabhuja Perumal, an eight armed form of Vishnu also known as Adikesava Perumal, shown holding a sword, shield, mace, bow, arrow, lotus, conch and chakra, with consort Padmasani Thayar (also referred to in sources as Pushpavalli or Alamelumangai). It is also known as Ashtabhujakaram, Sri Adikesava Perumal Temple, Gajendra Varadhan Temple.

This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the sacred Vishnu temples glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham composed by the Alvar poet saints. It is noted as the only Vaishnavite shrine in Kanchipuram said to have a Paramapadavasal, a symbolic gateway to Paramapadam (Vaikuntam), the abode of Vishnu. Temple legend connects the site to a penance by Brahma seeking Vishnu's favor, amid a dispute between Saraswati and Lakshmi, and separately to the Gajendra Moksha legend in which Vishnu rescues the elephant king Gajendra from a crocodile, which is why the deity is also.

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

Published sources do not give a single clean daily window for this temple; see the notes below for what is documented.

Secondary sources give conflicting timing ranges for this temple: templesinindiainfo.com and temple.dinamalar.com both give 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, while other sources list different windows (roughly 6 AM to 12 PM and evening hours), and a separate Wikipedia-sourced account instead lists six daily pooja timings (around 7 AM, 8 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, 7 PM and 10 PM) rather than simple open and close hours. The HR&CE main portal (hrce.tn.gov.in) was checked directly during renewed research; it has no searchable temple index and no dedicated page could be located for this shrine, so no official timetable could be found there either. The temple's Google Maps Business listing adds a fourth pattern, 6:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, close to but not identical to the dinamalar.com figures. With sources still disagreeing on the exact opening hour, this field is left blank.

Poojas and daily rituals

Daily rituals are reported to be performed at approximately six points in the day, around 7 AM, 8 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, 7 PM and 10 PM, though this could not be confirmed against an official temple source

Festivals and special-day timings

Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.

FestivalPeriodWhat happens
Vaikunta EkadashiDecember to January (Tamil month of Margazhi)Major Vaishnavite festival observed at the temple
Gajendra Moksha festivalJuly to AugustFestival commemorating the Gajendra Moksha legend associated with this temple

History and architecture

Built or establishedBelieved to have origins under the Pallavas (around the late 8th century CE), with inscriptions recording endowments under the Chola kings Rajendra Chola I (around 1034 CE) and Kulothunga Chola I (around 1070 to 1120 CE), and later enhancements under the Vijayanagara kings

Architecture

Dravidian style temple with a four tiered rajagopuram (gateway tower) piercing concentric rectangular enclosure walls, a granite boundary wall, and two temple tanks within the complex

History

Temple legend connects the site to a penance by Brahma seeking Vishnu's favor, amid a dispute between Saraswati and Lakshmi, and separately to the Gajendra Moksha legend in which Vishnu rescues the elephant king Gajendra from a crocodile, which is why the deity is also called Gajendra Varadhan. Inscriptions show land grants to the temple by Chola King Rajendra I around 1034 CE, including land purchased and donated by residents of Kanchipuram.

Planning your visit

NearbyVaradaraja Perumal Temple (about 2 km away), Yathothkari Perumal Temple (a short walking distance away)

How to reach

Sri Ashtabujakaram Perumal Temple, Gandhi Road, Chinna Kanchipuram, Ennaikaran, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu 631501, about 2 km from Varadaraja Perumal Temple. Kanchipuram is about 75 km from Chennai and is reachable by Kanchipuram railway station and bus services from Chennai.

Open in Google Maps

Where this information comes from

Confidence: Low. Reported daily darshan timings, entry fee and dress code vary across secondary travel and blog sources, the temple's own Google Maps Business listing, and could not be confirmed against an official temple or HR&CE source. The HR&CE portal was checked directly and has no dedicated page or timetable for this temple; entry fee and dress code remain blank. Deity, history, architecture and Divya Desam significance are corroborated across Wikipedia and multiple independent sources.

Ekambareswarar Temple
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Varadaraja Perumal Temple
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Sri Yathothkari Perumal Temple
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu

Frequently asked questions about Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple

What is the timing of Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple?

Published darshan hours for Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple vary; see the timings below and reconfirm with the temple before visiting. Secondary sources give conflicting timing ranges for this temple: templesinindiainfo.com and temple.dinamalar.com both give 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, while other sources list different windows (roughly 6 AM to 12 PM and evening hours), and a separate Wikipedia-sourced account instead lists six daily pooja timings (around 7 AM, 8 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, 7 PM and 10 PM) rather than simple open and close hours. The HR&CE main portal (hrce.tn.gov.in) was checked directly during renewed research; it has no searchable temple index and no dedicated page could be located for this shrine, so no official timetable could be found there either. The temple's Google Maps Business listing adds a fourth pattern, 6:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, close to but not identical to the dinamalar.com figures. With sources still disagreeing on the exact opening hour, this field is left blank.

Which festivals are celebrated at Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple?

The main ones documented for this temple are Vaikunta Ekadashi, Gajendra Moksha festival. See the festival table above for dates and what each involves.

How do I reach Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple?

Sri Ashtabujakaram Perumal Temple, Gandhi Road, Chinna Kanchipuram, Ennaikaran, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu 631501, about 2 km from Varadaraja Perumal Temple. Kanchipuram is about 75 km from Chennai and is reachable by Kanchipuram railway station and bus services from Chennai.

Who is the presiding deity at Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple?

Ashtabhuja Perumal, an eight armed form of Vishnu also known as Adikesava Perumal, shown holding a sword, shield, mace, bow, arrow, lotus, conch and chakra, with consort Padmasani Thayar (also referred to in sources as Pushpavalli or Alamelumangai)

What is the history of Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple?

Temple legend connects the site to a penance by Brahma seeking Vishnu's favor, amid a dispute between Saraswati and Lakshmi, and separately to the Gajendra Moksha legend in which Vishnu rescues the elephant king Gajendra from a crocodile, which is why the deity is also called Gajendra Varadhan.

What poojas or aartis are performed daily at Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple?

Daily rituals are reported to be performed at approximately six points in the day, around 7 AM, 8 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, 7 PM and 10 PM, though this could not be confirmed against an official temple source

What else is worth seeing near Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple?

Varadaraja Perumal Temple (about 2 km away), Yathothkari Perumal Temple (a short walking distance away)

Is Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple known by any other name?

Yes, it is also called Ashtabhujakaram, Sri Adikesava Perumal Temple, Gajendra Varadhan Temple.

When was Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple built?

Believed to have origins under the Pallavas (around the late 8th century CE), with inscriptions recording endowments under the Chola kings Rajendra Chola I (around 1034 CE) and Kulothunga Chola I (around 1070 to 1120 CE), and later enhancements under the Vijayanagara kings

How reliable is the information on this Ashtabhuja Perumal Temple page?

This listing's confidence is rated low. Reported daily darshan timings, entry fee and dress code vary across secondary travel and blog sources, the temple's own Google Maps Business listing, and could not be confirmed against an official temple or HR&CE source. The HR&CE portal was checked directly and has no dedicated page or timetable for this temple; entry fee and dress code remain blank. Deity, history, architecture and Divya Desam significance are corroborated across Wikipedia and multiple independent sources.