The Parthasarathy Temple is located at Triplicane, Chennai. It is one among the 108 divyadesams or holy abodes of Lord Vishnu. The name ‘Parthasarathy’ literally means ‘Arjuna’s charioteer’, a reference to the role Lord Krishna played in the Mahabharata war. It was originally built by the Pallavas in the 8th century and then later renovated by the Cholas and the Vijayanagara kings. This temple has special significance for all Sri Vaishnavas since the parents of Sri Ramanuja came to this temple and prayed to the Lord for a son and eventually the great acharya was born to them who revived Vaishnava tradition through the Vishishtadvaita siddhanta. The other shrines in this temple are dedicated to Sri Vedavalli Thaayaar (Lakshmi), Sri Ranganatha, Sri Rama, Sri Varadaraja Swami, Narasimha (as Azhagiyasingar), Sri Andal, Sri Anjaneya, 12 Alwars and Sri Ramanujacharya. Swami Vivekananda’s famous letter addressed to his disciple Azhasinga Perumal where he makes a passionate reference to Lord Parthasarathi is also inscribed on the walls of the temple: “Go now this minute to the temple of Parthasarathi, and before Him who was friend to the poor and lowly cowherds of Gokula, who never shrank to embrace the Pariah Guhaka, who accepted the invitation of a prostitute in preference to that of the nobles and saved her in His incarnation as Buddha - yea, down on your faces before Him and make a great sacrifice, the sacrifice of a whole life for them, for whom He comes from time to time, whom He loves above all, the poor, the lowly, the oppressed.” Offer worship at this sacred shrine of Lord Krishna and receive his divine grace in abundance.

Go on a virtual tour of the Parthasarathi Temple: