Andal Temple (Srivilliputhur Vatapatrasayee Perumal Temple), in Srivilliputhur in Tamil Nadu, honours Vishnu as Vatapatrasayi, reclining, with consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi; an adjoining shrine honours Andal, worshipped as the deity's bride and an incarnation of Bhudevi. It is also known as Vatapatrasayi Temple; the goddess Andal is also called Kodhai or Kodhadevi.
One of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham composed by the Alvar poet-saints. It holds a distinctive place among the Divya Desams as the birthplace of two Alvars, Periyalvar and Andal, and its Rajagopuram is a widely recognized symbol of Tamil Nadu. Chola, Pandya, and later Vijayanagara and Madurai Nayak rulers all contributed to the temple's construction and renovation between roughly the 10th and 17th centuries.
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 | 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM |
| Evening | 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM |
Poojas and daily rituals
Six daily rituals reported at approximately 7 AM, 8 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, 7 PM and 10 PM, accompanied by nadaswaram and tavil music.
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Aadi Pooram | Tamil month Aadi, approximately July to August | Commemorates the day Periyalvar is said to have found the infant Andal, celebrated as her adoption or birth festival, and considered the temple's most significant annual event. |
| Panguni Thirukkalyana Utsavam | Tamil month Panguni, approximately March to April | Celebrates the symbolic wedding of Andal to the temple's Perumal. |
History and architecture
Architecture
Dravidian architecture with a granite-walled complex, two main shrine divisions (Andal to the southwest, Vatapatrasayi to the northeast), three temple water bodies, and sculptural programs depicting the Panchamurtis and the ten avatars of Vishnu. The Rajagopuram, at roughly 192 to 194 feet, is one of the tallest temple towers in Tamil Nadu and is used as the state emblem of the Tamil Nadu government, though at least one account disputes whether the emblem depicts this gopuram or the Meenakshi Temple's western tower.
History
Chola, Pandya, and later Vijayanagara and Madurai Nayak rulers all contributed to the temple's construction and renovation between roughly the 10th and 17th centuries. Srivilliputhur is held to be the birthplace of both Periyalvar and his foster-daughter Andal, the only woman among the twelve Alvars and author of the Tiruppavai and Nachiar Tirumoli, both recited widely during the Tamil month of Margazhi. A Kumbabhishekam consecration was performed on January 20, 2016.
Planning your visit
How to reach
About 80 km from Madurai. Madurai Airport, about 75 km away, is the nearest airport. The town has direct rail connections from Madurai, Chennai and Kanyakumari, and is also served by buses and taxis from Madurai.
Where this information comes from
Confidence: Medium. Core history, architecture and the gopuram/state-emblem connection are corroborated on Wikipedia, but a UNESCO World Heritage tentative-list claim for this specific temple could not be verified in available sources and has therefore been omitted; timings, entry fee and dress code are sourced from a travel site only and were not independently confirmed with the temple or HR&CE.