As per Hindu legend, during the churning of the Ocean of milk, Vishnu instructed his consort Lakshmi to reach the hermitage of Sage Bhrigu. The sage was doing penance to attain a girl child and accepted the girl Lakshmi. the presiding deity, Adi Kesava is believed to have married goddess Bharghavi, the daughter of sage Bhrigu. The temple is believed to be the birthplace of Peyazhwar, one of the first three of the twelve azhwar saints of the 6th-9th century AD. The legendary Azhwar was believed to have come to earth from the well called Manikairavam inside the temple premises.
The temple
The temple is built in Dravidian architecture occupies around and has two precincts. It is located in Mylapore, in Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple has a rectangular plan surrounded by high walls, with a 5-tier gopuram, the gateway tower. The presiding deity is housed in the sanctum and is an image made of granite. The deity is seen in standing posture. The shrine of Garuda faces Adi Kesava, the eagle mount of Vishnu. The central shrine is approached through a worship hall and a narrow Ardha Mandapam. The flagpost is located behind the shrine of Garuda. There are images of Azhwars in the worship hall on both sides and the shrine of Mayuravalli is located on the western side of the temple in the second precinct.
Worship practices and festivals
The temple is open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The temple priests perform the pooja during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: Ushathkalam at 8 a.m., Kalasanthi at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 7:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram, neivethyam and deepa aradanai for both Sri Aadi Kesava Perumal and his consort Sri Mayuravalli Thayar. During the worship, religious instructions in the Vedas are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. The temple procession takes place during the ekadasi day, Tiruvonam, Full Moon / New Moon days, when the festival images of Adi Kesava, Sridevi and Bhudevi are taken in a procession. There are different processions taken by Mayuravalli Thaayaar on Fridays and Uthiram star, Aandaal on the Pooram star, Rama on Punarpoosam, and the Azhwars, on their birthdays. Brahmotsavam, the main festival of the temple is performed during the Tamil month of Panguni. During the ten-day festival, the twelve Azhwars and the twenty-one Vaishnava Aachaaryas are taken in procession along with Adi Kesava perumaaL. During the Tamil month of Aadi, float festival is conducted for five days. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
