# Abhimana Kshethram

Abhimana Kshethram or Abhimana Sthalam are a list of 108 sacred Vishnu temples apart from the other 108 Divya desams. Abhimana desams or close abodes, these temples are the most significant temples in the Vaishnavite tradition which has similar greatness as Divya Desams. These set of temples is classified as an Abhimana Kshethram as it is mentioned in Various Puranas and Ithihasas such as Ramayana and Mahabharata and have Significant Sthala Puranas based on the Ithihasas and Various Puranas of Hinduism . The temples are also said to be visited by many Religious scholars and saints such as Ramanuja, Adi Shankara, Madhvacharya, Nathamuni, Yamunacharya, Vedanta Desika, Manavala Mamunigal, Purandara Dasa, Narayana Teertha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and by many other great Vedic teachers and Rishis. Some of these Temples are said to be visited by the Alvars who did not sing the god's grace due to various reasons. Out of these 108 temples Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi is considered as the 1st out of the 108 Abhimana Kshethras as Thirumangai Alvar is believed to have visited the temple and is believed to have built the tall flag post outside the temple with the help of cotton bales. The other Alvars who are believed to have visited the temple at various periods were seemingly lost in under the beauty of the presiding deity and were at a loss for words.

## Legend

There were many old and highly important temples which were not sung by the Alvars in their Naalayira Divya Prabandham hence, not classified as a Divya desam which made many Vaishnava scholars sad. Nathamuni, Madhvacharya, Ramanuja, Vedanta Desika and many other Vaishnavate scholars classified another sect of temples called Abhimana Kshethras. These temples are so close to the heart of Maha Vishnu hence, called Abhimana desam. These temples are classified as 108 Temples as various Vaishnavite Acharayas, Alvars and Various Rishis of puranas and ithihas glorify them.

## List of Abhimana Kshethrams

This is the list of the 108 sacred Temples dedicated to various forms of Vishnu the supreme deity of Vaishnavism. These 108 Abhimana Kshethras are present only in India.
| No. | Name | Deity |
| 1 | Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi | Vidhya Rajagopalaswamy (Krishna) |
| 2 | Kothandaramar temple, Vaduvur | Rama and Sita |
| 3 | Kothandaramar temple, Paruthiyur | Rama and Sita |
| 4 | Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Kudavasal | Srinivasa Perumal with Sridevi, Bhudevi |
| 5 | Kalinga narthana krishna Temple | Veda Naarayanar with Sridevi and Bhudevi |
| 6 | Chakrapani Temple, Kumbakonam | Chakrapani Perumal and Vijayalakshmi Thayar |
| 7 | Kothandaramar Temple, Adambar | Rama with Sita |
| 8 | Kothandaramar Temple, Thillaivilagam | Rama with Sita |
| 9 | Sri Lakshmi Narayana Perumal, Varagur | Lakshmi Narayana Perumal, Venkatesha Perumal and Navaneetha Krishnan |
| 10 | Mudikondan Kothandaramar Temple | Rama with Sita |
| 11 | Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Patteeswaram | Rama with Sita |
| 12 | Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Thirumandangudi | Ranganthaswamy and Ranganayaki Thayar.(Thondaradippodi Alvar avathara sthalam) |
| 13 | Ramaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam | Rama with Sita |
| 14 | Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam | Rajagopalaswamy with Sridevi and Bhudevi |
| 15 | Varahaperumal Temple, Kumbakonam | Varaha with Bhudevi |
| 16 | Vasudeva Perumal Temple | Vasudeva perumal with Sridevi and Bhudevi |
| 17 | Veetrirundha Perumal Temple | Veetrindha Perumal with Bhudevi and Niladevi |
| 18 | Amrithanarayana Perumal Temple | Amritanarayana Perumal and Amrithavalli Thayar |
| 19 | Anandha narayana perumal temple, Abaranadari, Nagapattinam | Anandha narayana perumal and Alankaravalli Thayar |
| 20 | Devanarayana Perumal temple, Thevur, Nagapattinam | Deva Narayana Perumal with Sridevi and Bhudevi |
| 21 | Varadha Narayana Perumal Temple, Vadakalathur, Nagapattinam | Varadha Narayana Perumal and Perundevi Thayar |
| 22 | Yadhava Perumal Temple, Kizhvelur, Nangapattinam | Yadhava Perumal with Sridevi and Bhudevi |
| 23 | Sri Veeranarayana Perumal | Veeranarayana Perumal and Maragadhavalli Thayar |
| 24 | Sri Renganatha Perumal Temple, Vadarengam | Ranganatha Perumal and Ranganayaki Thayar |
| 25 | Bhu Varaha Swamy temple | Varaha and Ambujavalli Thayar |
| 26 | Adhirangam Ranganathaswamy temple | Adi Ranganatha Perumal and Ranganayaki Thayar |
| 27 | Sri Lakshmi Narasimhswamy Temple, Polur | Narasimha and Kanagavalli Thayar |
| 28 | Sri Yoga Rama temple | Yoga Rama and Shengamalavalli Thayar |
| 29 | Eri-Katha Ramar Temple | Erikatha Rama and Janakavalli Thayar (Sita) |
| 30 | Sundaravarada Perumal temple | Sundaravarada Perumal and Anandavalli Thayar |
| 31 | Padalathri Narasimhar Temple | Padalathri Narasimhar and Ahobilavalli Thayar |
| 32 | Adikesava Perumal temple, Mylapore | Adi Keshava perumal and Mayuravalli Thayar |
| 33 | Madhava Perumal temple, Mylapore | Madhava Perumal and Amrithavalli Thayar |
| 34 | Jagannatha Perumal temple | Jaganatha Perumal and Thirumangaivalli Thayar |
| 35 | Adikesava Perumal temple, Sriperumpudur | Adi Keshava Perumal and Yathirajavalli Thayar |
| 36 | Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple, Thiruparkadal | Venkateshwara and Padmavathy |
| 37 | Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Shoolagiri | Varadaraja Perumal and Perundevi Thayar |
| 38 | Betrayaswamy Perumal temple, Denkanikottai | Betrayaswamy Perumal and Soundaryavalli Thayar |
| 39 | Adi Srinivasa perumal temple, Mookanur, Dharmapuri | Adi moola Srinivasa Perumal and Padmavathy Thayar |
| 40 | Kodandaramaswamy Temple, Ayothyapatinam, Salem | Rama with Sita |
| 41 | Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem | Sundararaja Perumal and Sundaravalli Thayar |
| 42 | Narasimhaswamy Temple, Namakkal | Narasimha and Namagiri Thayar |
| 43 | Sri Kalyana Venkataramanaswamy, Thanthonimalai | Swayambu Sri Kalyana Venkataramanaswamy and Lakshmi in Vakshasthalam |
| 44 | Vedanarayana perumal temple, Thirunarayanapuram | Vedanarayana Perumal and Vedanayaki Thayar |
| 45 | Gunaseelam Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Temple | Prasanna Venkatachalapathy and Lakshmi in Vakshasthalam |
| 46 | Kattu Narasimhaperumal Temple, Srirangam | Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal And Lakshmi on his lap. |
| 47 | Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Ariyalur | Varadaraja Perumal and Lakshmi in The Vakshasthala |
| 48 | Sri Venkatesa Perumal Temple (Melathiruppathi) – Mondipalayam | Shaligrama Srinivasa Perumal |
| 49 | Soundararajaperumal temple, Thadikombu | Soundararajaperumal and Soundaravalli |
| 50 | Ranganathaswamy temple, Karamadai | Ranganatha Perumal and Ranganayaki Thayar |
| 51 | Guruvayur Temple | Guruvayoorapan and Lakshmi in Vakshasthalam |
| 52 | Janardanaswamy Temple, Varkala | Janardanaswamy Perumal |
| 53 | Panniyur Sri Varahamurthy Temple | Varaha with Bhudevi |
| 54 | Ananthapura Lake Temple, Kasaragod | Ananthapadmanabhaswamy Perumal |
| 55 | Thirunelli, Maha Vishnu Temple | Maha Vishnu |
| 56 | Thirupalkadal Sreekrishnaswamy Temple | Krishna as Thirupalkadal Bhattarakar with Bhoodevi and Mahalakshmi |
| 57 | Thriprayar Rama Temple | Rama |
| 58 | Koodalmanikyam Temple | Bharata |
| 59 | Payammal Shatrughna Temple | Shatrughna |
| 60 | Sri Krishna Trichambaram Temple | Raudra Krishna |
| 61 | Kanipura Sri Gopalakrishna Temple | Gopalakrishna (Krishna) |
| 62 | Maramkulangara Krishna Temple | Krishna |
| 63 | Sree Vasudevapuram Mahavishnu Temple | Maha Vishnu and Ashta Lakshmi |
| 64 | Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple | Adi Narayana as Santhana gopala murthi |
| 65 | Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple | Krishna |
| 66 | Chottanikkara Temple | Lakshmi Narayana |
| 67 | Andalurkavu Sri Ramachandramoorthi Temple | Rama |
| 68 | Sree Krishna Swami Temple, Thodupuzha | Krishna |
| 69 | Evoor Major Sri Krishnaswamy Temple | Krishna |
| 70 | Thiruvallam Sree Parasurama Temple | Parashurama |
| 71 | Vilwadrinatha Temple | Rama |
| 72 | Trikkulasekharapuram Sri Krishna Temple | Krishna |
| 73 | Ramapuram Sree Rama Temple | Rama with Sita |
| 74 | Varadaraja Perumal, Thiruvenkatanathapuram | Varadaraja Perumal With Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi |
| 75 | Thanumalayan Temple | Brahma Vishnu and Shiva |
| 76 | Padhmanabhaswamy Perumal temple, Nellaiappar Temple | Anathapadhmanabhaswamy and Gajalakshmi Thayar |
| 77 | Sri Varadharaja Perumal Kovil | Varadaraja Perumal and Mahalakshmi Thayar |
| 78 | Rajagopalaswamy Manarkoil | Rajagopalaswamy Perumal |
| 79 | Kattalagar Perumal Temple | Kallazhagar Perumal |
| 80 | Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram | Rama and Seetha Pirati (Sita) |
| 81 | Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna | Ranganathaswamy and Ranganayaki Devi |
| 82 | Ranganathaswamy Temple, Shivanasamudra | Ranganathaswamy and Ranganayaki |
| 83 | Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple | Cheluvanarayana Swamy |
| 84 | Gunja Narasimha Swamy Temple, Tirumakudal Narasipura | Narasimha and Lakshmi Devi |
| 85 | Udupi Sri Krishna Matha | Krishna |
| 86 | Kalady Krishna Temple | Sree Krishnaswamy |
| 87 | Narasimha Jharni | Sri Lakshmi Nararasimhswamy |
| 88 | Kurmanathaswamy temple, Srikurmam | Kurmanathaswamy and Kurmanayaki Devi |
| 89 | Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Mattapalli | Sri Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha with Rajalakshmi Thayar and Chenchu Lakshmi Thayar |
| 90 | Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Simhachalam | Varaha Narasimha and Simhavalli thayar |
| 91 | Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple, Bhadrachalam | Rama with Sita |
| 92 | Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Mangalagiri | Lakshmi Narasimha |
| 93 | Kodandarama Temple, Tirupati | Rama with Sita |
| 94 | Jagannath Temple, Puri | Jaganatha |
| 95 | Chakra Narasimha Temple | Chakra Narasimha |
| 96 | Vithoba Temple | Vithoba and Rakhumai |
| 97 | Alarnatha Mandira | Maha Vishnu as Jaganatha (Azhwarnathar) |
| 98 | Jyotisar | Krishna |
| 99 | Narayan Sarovar | Maha Vishnu |
| 100 | Sakhigopal Temple | Gopinatha |
| 101 | Khirachora Gopinatha Temple | Gopinatha |
| 102 | Charbhuja Nath Temple | Charbhuja Nath |
| 103 | Vishnuprayag | Maha Vishnu as Theertham |
| 104 | Vishnupad Temple, Gaya | Maha Vishnu |
| 105 | Tri Yugi Narayanaswamy Temple | Narayana and Lakshmi |
| 106 | Narasimha temple, Jyothir Math | Narasimha |
| 107 | Adi Keshava Temple, Kashi | Adi Keshava |
| 108 | Yoga-Narasimha Swamy Temple | Saligrama Yoga Narasimha |