The
Devarajaswami Temple, more formally known as the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, is a major Hindu pilgrimage site in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, and is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Originally constructed during the Chola era and extensively expanded by the Vijayanagara kings, the temple is a masterpiece of Dravidian architecture, featuring a massive 23-acre complex with a seven-tiered Rajagopuram and an exquisitely carved 96-pillar marriage hall (kalyana mandapam). It is internationally renowned for the rare Athi Varadar festival, where a 12-foot wooden deity made of fig wood is raised from an underwater tank for public worship only once every 40 years. Another significant draw for devotees is the Golden and Silver Lizard shrine, where touching the celestial figures on the ceiling is believed to cleanse sins and ward off misfortune.