Pundarikaksha Perumal Koil

Moolavar : Sri Pundarikaksha PerumaL  Thaayaar : Sri ShenbagavaLLI Thaayaar

Uthsavar : Sri SenthaamaraikkaNNan PerumaL

Uthsavar Thaayaar : Sri PankajavaLLI Thaayaar   

Pushkarini : Sri Pushkala Theertham, Kusa Theertham, Chakra Theertham, Manikarnika, Padma Theertham, Swasthika Theertham.

Vimaanam : Vimalaakrutha Vimaanam

Sthala Vriksham : Vilwa Maram

Perumal ThirukkOlam : Nindra ThirukkOlam

MangaLaasaasanam : Periazhwar, Thirumangai Azhwar

ThiruveLLarai, also known as Shwetha Giri (White Hill) in Sanskrit is one of the oldest temples in India. It is older than Sri RanganathaSwami temple and is said to be built during the reign of Sibi Chakravarthy who is an ancestor of Lord Sri Rama.

Sibi Chakravarthy who had come to ThiruveLLarai with his army spotted a white boar on the hillside and decided to hunt it down. The boar however vanished. Searching for the white boar Sibi came upon Sage Markandeya who revealed to him that the boar was none other than Lord Mahavishnu in the form of Varaha (boar). The sage too the king to a nearby snake mound and instructed him to pour milk on the mound. As the white milk flowed down, an idol of Pundarikaksha PerumaL was discovered. The sage then asked the king to bring 3,700 workers and their families build a temple to the Lord at the spot. As instructed, King Sibi built a grand temple in the form of a fortress and all the workers and their families settled down at Thiruvellarai.

As the lord appeared to King Sibi in the form of a boar, this place is known as one of the Varaaha Kshetrams . There is a special pond within the temple complex in the shape of a swasthika which is known as the Swasthika Theertham. At Thiruvellarai, the Goddess, ShenbagavaLLi is given more importance than the Lord himself and always leads the procession in her palanquin during festivals.

Uthsavam:

Chithirai Thiruvizha (chariot festival), Gajendra Moksham, Panguni Brahmothsavam.