Sowcarpet is a congested area in Chennai city and it has a lot of North Indian population. You can find a lot of old and big temples in Sowcarpet area. One of such big and old temples is Bairagi Mutt temple.
Temple History:
Bairagi Mutt is believed to be present for the past 400+ years. Around 1800 AD.
Many years ago a Vishnu devotee, Laldas, a sanyaasi lived in this area. Everyday he would commence his work after meditating on and praying to the Lord of Tirupati. He also had the habit of rendering service as far as he could, to those devotees who went on pilgrimage along this way. For a very long time he nourished a wish in his mind, to go to Tirupati and worship the Lord. But it could not be fulfilled. In course of time this desire became a longing in his mind.
The Lord decided to grace him. One night the Lord appeared in Laldas’ dream and asked him to erect a temple in the place where he lived. The happy sanyaasi commenced this work. But he had no money and so asked the people to help him build the temple. None was prepared to help him. So, by using his magical skill, he converted copper into gold. With the money by selling that gold, he began building the temple. People now understood his worth and then gave him money to build the temple. Then an image like that of Tirupati Venkatachalapathi was made and the temple was erected.
The Lord manifested in the mind of Laldas and appeared before him. And thus gained the name ‘Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal’.
It is basically a mutt (the place where the devotees can stay, or the place where the saints stay). The mutt also houses a small shrine for Lord Venkateswara with two consorts on his either side, and two more females also. There are small idols for Rama, Lakshman, and Sita, and also for Ganesha and Hanuman carved in the temple wall.
Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal temple has a tower and flag staff (Dhwajasthambha). The sanctum has the big gigantic idol of Lord Venkatesa. There is Garud available in a small shrine opposite to Venkatesa. Adjacent to the main sanctum, there is a shrine for Ranganath with his two consorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi along with Brahma.
There are shrines for various Alwars, and Tirumangai Alwar with Kumudavalli. The corridor (prakara) of the temple houses the shrines of various Alwars and devotees, Hanuman, Rama with Lakshman and Sita, Varadarajar with his consorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi, Krishna with his two consorts, Varaha, and Lakshmi Narasimha. It is very rare to find various forms of Lord Vishnu in the same temple. The goddess of the temple Alar Mel Mangai is available in a separate shrine. There is also a separate shrine for Andal.
Address: Arulmigu Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Koil, Bairagi Matam, General Muthiah 6th Street, Sowcarpet, Chennai – 600 079. Phone: 2538 2142, 2539 2869.
The temple is open from7.00a.m to 12.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.
