Parthasarathy Temple Chennai

As one of the 108 Divya Desams celebrated by the Alvar saints in the Tamil Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the temple is a major centre of Sri Vaishnava worship. The form of Parthasarathy links it directly to the Bhagavad Gita and Krishna's role as the divine guide. Its antiquity makes it one of the most historically significant temples of Chennai.

The Parthasarathy temple in Triplicane is one of the oldest structures in Chennai, first built by the Pallavas in the 8th century and expanded by later dynasties. It is dedicated to Vishnu in his form as Parthasarathy, Krishna serving as the charioteer of Arjuna (Partha) on the field of Kurukshetra — and the main idol is said to still bear the marks of arrows from that great battle. Unusually, the complex enshrines five forms of Vishnu across his avatars. The temple is fronted by a large tank and its festivals, especially the Brahmotsavam and the float festival, fill the streets of Triplicane with devotion.