Perumal (deity)
Perumal (Tamil: பெருமாள், romanized: Perumāl) or Tirumal (Tamil: திருமால், romanized: Tirumāl ⓘ) is a Hindu deity. Perumal is worshipped mainly among Tamil Hindus in South India, Sri Lanka, and the Tamil diaspora, who consider Perumal to be a form of Vishnu.
| Perumal | |
|---|---|
God of Vaikuntha | |
Murti of Perumal (centre) with Sridevi (left) and Bhudevi (right), Tirunelveli | |
| Other names | Govinda, Srinivasa, Narayana, Gopala, Venkateshvara, Vishnu |
| Venerated in | Vaishnavism (Sri Vaishnavism) |
| Abode | 108 Divya Desams, 108 Abhimana Kshethrams and Purana Kshethram of Vishnu. |
| Mantra | Om Namo Narayanaya |
| Symbol | Shanku, Chakram |
| Mount | Garuda and Shesha |
| Texts | Naalayira Divya Prabandham |
| Festivals | Vaikuntha Ekadashi |
| Consorts | Sridevi, Bhudevi, and Niladevi (three aspects of Lakshmi) |
Some of the earliest known mentions of Perumal, and the Tamil devotional poems ascribed to him, are found in Paripāṭal – the Sangam era poetic anthology. He is a popular Hindu deity particularly among Tamils in Tamil Nadu and the Tamil diaspora, and in Vaishnava temples. One of the richest and largest Hindu temples complexes dedicated to Perumal is the Venkateshvara temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Other significant institutions include Srirangam's Ranganathaswamy temple, Kanchipuram's Varadaraja Perumal temple, and Thiruvananthapurum's Padmanabhaswamy Perumal temple.