Betrayaswamy Temple
| Betrayaswamy Temple | |
|---|---|
 |
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 Location in Tamil Nadu
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| Name | |
| Other names | Denkanikottai temple |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 12°30′58″N 77°47′55″E / 12.51611°N 77.79861°ECoordinates: 12°30′58″N 77°47′55″E / 12.51611°N 77.79861°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Krishnagiri |
| Location | Denkanikottai |
| Culture | |
| Primary deity |
Betrayaswamy(Vishnu) Soundaryavalli(Lakshmi) |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Hoysala architecture |
Betrayaswamy(Vishnu)
Betrayaswamy temple (also called Denkanikottai Temple) in Denkanikottai, a village in Krishnagiri district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It is located 28 km from Hosur and 66 km from Bangalore. Constructed in the Hoysala style of architecture, the temple is dedicated to Vishnu who is worshipped as Devaperumal and his consort Lakshmi as Soundaryavalli in this temple.
As per Hindu legend, Venkateshwara believed to have appeared for sage Kanva rishi to save him from the Yaksha Devandagadagan. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple has a five tiered rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower. The Wodeyars of Mysore commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of the temple during the 16th century.
The temple follows Thenkalai tradition of worship. Two daily rituals and many yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the fifteen-day annual Chittirai Kalyana Utsavam during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April - May) and nine-day Brahmotsavam being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The place finds mention in Skanda Purana, which has eight chapters detailing the legend of the temple. As per Hindu legend, Devandagadagan, an Yaksha and the maternal of the famous king Kubera, once got a boon from Brahma that he would get endless powers. He was very proud of his powers and started troubling the Deva (Hinduism), the celestial deities, and the sages who were doing penance in the region. He was once punished by sage Atri, who cursed him to roam in the forest and said that he would be relieved of his curse once Vishnu strikes him with a mace. Ages passed by and Kanvagada was troubling the sages in the forest. Once sage Kanva was finding it difficult to spot a place to do his penance, when sage Atri advised him to go to a place on the banks of Cauvery close to Narayanagiri. Kanva started doing his penance and the Yaksha started troubling the sage. A divine voice informed the sage to seek the help of Venkateswara. The sage did so and Venkateshwara came to the place from his abode at Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. He transformed as a hunter with a bow called Saranga and his mace called Denkani. An intense battle followed between the hunter and Devandagadaga, eventually the hunter slaying the Yaksha with Denkani. In memori of the event, the place came to be known as Denkanipuram, which eventually became Denkanikottai. The sage and the Yaksha were blessed with the vision of Venkateshwara, who made the place his abode.
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