Utsava is a sanskrit word wherein Ut means remove and sava means worldly griefs. The word Utsava Murthy is referred to those deities normally made of metal that are taken out in procession so that they may be worshipped by the devotees of all strata of society, to be rid of all worldly sorrows.
The Utsava murthis aid easier worship as Thirumanjanam or Kalyana Utsavam can be performed more frequently and economically on them. They can be taken to any place within and outside the temple so that a larger number of people can worship them.
There have been a number of examples in the lives of great saints when their prarthana murthis have granted the grace that one would normally associate with worshipping the moolavar (main deity) of a temple. A couple of such examples are the Moola Ramar worshipped by Sri Raghavendra Swamy, the Rama idols worshipped by Saint Thyagaraja.
One such deity is the Sri, Boomi, Neela, Mahalakshmi, Narayani samedha Sri Narayana Perumal of West Mambalam who has been granting the wishes of many a devotee from his humble residence.
Situated in the narrow and busy Baroda Street, next to the back entrance of the Sri B S Mootha Jain school, this Perumal is found with five lakshmis unlike most temples where he is seen with Sridevi and Bhoodevi.
This Perumal has been in worship for centuries in a private household of an industrialist and based on the divine instructions received , they have made worship of these deities public.
The grace of this perumal has spread far and wide and this place is often very crowded. Since the Perumal is found with five Lakshmis, he is worshipped by those seeking wealth, prosperity and good marriage alliances.
Moreover, Perumal's thirunakshathram is Pushyam (Poosam) and those born on Pushyam star are also said to benefit by worshipping him. Sridevi, Bhoodevi and Neeladevi are found on either side of the Perumal and Mahalakshmi is found as Thani Nachiyar.
The fifth Lakshmi, Narayani, is found in the heart of Narayana Perumal. Since Perumal has the Thayar as part of his body, he is adorned with a waist belt (Oddiyanam) and anklets on his feet . The Perumal looks resplendent in his Paramapatha Kolam and those worshipping him in this form are said to be relieved of all their sins and can reach the lotus feet of the Lord at the end of their lives.
The temple is currently looking for a bigger space as more and more people are coming here everyday to worship Sriman Narayana and be rid of their problems. Efforts are on to raise funds to build a temple with Moolavars for these deities as well.
Thirumanjanam is performed at 7.30 am on Poosam star every month, apart from important festivals and Purattasi Saturdays. On these days, Vishnu Sahasranama is chanted at 4.30 pm and Oyyali sevai is performed at 5.00 pm.
How to get here:
This temple is found in Baroda Street, the lane that is behind the Duraiswamy Subway which connects T. Nagar with West Mambalam.
Temple Timings:
Mornings : 7.00 to 9.30 am
Evenings: 5.30 to 8.30 pm
Contact Details:
Kalai Bhattar - 98404 57113
