Sri Aadhi Varaha Perumal Temple, Thirukkalvanur, in Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Aadhi Varaha Perumal, standing form of Vishnu, with consort Anjilaivalli Thayar. It is also known as Thirukkallvanur, Thirukkalvanoor.
This shrine is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham composed by the Alvar poet-saints, and is counted as Divya Desam number 54. It is not a standalone temple but a sub-shrine located within the Kamakshi Amman Temple complex in Kanchipuram, a major Shiva/Devi temple that already has its own separate listing in this directory. Along with the Nilathingal Thundam shrine at Ekambareswarar Temple, it is one of only two Divya Desams in Kanchipuram situated inside Shaivite temple complexes. Documentation on this shrine is comparatively sparse next to Kanchipuram's larger, standalone Divya Desams. Temple tradition holds that Parvati once playfully called Vishnu "Kalva" (thief) after catching him eavesdropping nearby, and in jest asked him to manifest in three forms, standing, seated and reclining, though only the standing form is worshipped here today.
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.
Independently verified darshan timings could not be confirmed. As a sub-shrine it is likely accessible during Kamakshi Amman Temple's general visiting hours (commonly cited elsewhere as approximately 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM/9:30 PM with a midday gap), but this should be confirmed locally. The Kamakshi Amman Temple's official website (kanchikamakshi.org) was checked directly during renewed research and does not publish specific darshan hours or any information about this sub-shrine. Secondary sources specific to the Aadhi Varaha Perumal sub-shrine itself also conflict, for example 6 AM to 12 PM and 3 PM to 8 PM in one account versus 6 AM to 1 PM and 4:30 PM to 9 PM in another; one temple-visit blog account additionally describes 'special payment and special conditions' as required for sanctum entry, though this is a single unverified source and not used to fill the entry fee field. A Google Maps search for this specific sub-shrine returned a different, better-known temple in Kanchipuram (Varadaraja Perumal Temple) instead, so no usable Maps data could be obtained for it either.
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Vaikuntha Ekadasi | Tamil month Margazhi (December to January) | Major Vaishnavite festival observed at the shrine |
| Navaratri | Observed at the shrine | |
| Float Festival | Tamil month Panguni (March to April) | Festival mentioned by some sources for this shrine |
History and architecture
Architecture
Dravidian style shrine within the Kamakshi Amman Temple complex, situated to the right of the Amman sannidhi, with the deity facing west; the temple tank is called Nithyapushkarini and the vimana is known as Vaamana Vimanam
History
Temple tradition holds that Parvati once playfully called Vishnu "Kalva" (thief) after catching him eavesdropping nearby, and in jest asked him to manifest in three forms, standing, seated and reclining, though only the standing form is worshipped here today. The shrine is glorified in a hymn by Thirumangai Alvar.
Planning your visit
How to reach
Within the Kamakshi Amman Temple complex in Kanchipuram town; Kanchipuram is well connected by road and rail from Chennai (roughly 70 to 80 km away)
Where this information comes from
Confidence: Low. This is a lesser documented sub-shrine within the Kamakshi Amman Temple complex; darshan timings, entry fee and dress code could not be independently confirmed even after checking the Kamakshi Amman Temple's own official website directly (no sub-shrine or timing details published there), and secondary sources specific to this shrine give further conflicting timing windows. Precise historical era also remains vague, with sources claiming anywhere from the 5th-8th century Pallava period to as late as the 14th century or even 1783, so builtEra is left blank rather than picking one. Festival period details beyond Vaikuntha Ekadasi are thinly sourced.