Sri Harita Vaarana Perumal Temple is an important temple of Nazarethpettai in South India. Situated off the Poondamallee high road is the calm and quiet village of Nazarethpettai. It is the home to a rarely visited ancient Vishnu temple dedicated to Lord Harita Vaarana Perumal. In Tamil it is known as Pacchai Vaarana Perumal.
Nazarethpettai: Originally it is known as Purushamangalam and also as Dharmapuri Kshetram. This is because it is well-known as the birthplace of the famous Srivaishnava preceptor (Acharya), Mudaliyandan. It is also popular with the name of Daasarathi, son of Ananta Dikshitar and Nachiyaramman who was a sister of the illustrious Srivaishnava preceptor Ramanuja Acharya. He was born in the year 1027 A.D. after his parents were blessed by Lord Rama enshrined in the Eri Katha Rama temple in nearby Tiruninravur. He, along with Kurattazhvan, was a prominent disciple of Ramanuja and rendered yeoman services to his teacher. Mudaliyandan. Moreover Mudaliyandan was famous as one of the seventy-four Simhasanadipatis (spiritual heads) and is believed to have lived for hundred and five years till 1132 A.D. According to tradition, he was installed the image of Ramanuja at Sriperumbudur, the latter`s birthplace and for making arrangements for worship there. His son Kandadai Annan is believed to have consecrated an icon for Ramanuja in Srirangam. The small place of Nazarethpettai is a sacrosanct for it is the place where a number of holy incidents took place. Moreover Sri Harita Vaarana Perumal Temple has attached a flavor of sanctity in the place.
Sri Harita Vaarana Perumal Temple is one of the antique temples found in Nazarethpettai of South India. A number of legendary and mythological stories are associated with it, which are the added grandeur to the antiquity of the temple. The Sthala-purana of the Harita Vaarana Perumal temple is connected to an interesting and well-known episode in the Mahabharata. According to that story, when the Pandavas found it difficult to defeat the famous preceptor Drona who was fighting for the Kauravas, they hatched a plot. Aware of Drona`s great affection for his son Ashvatthama, Bhima killed an elephant (kunjara) named Ashvatthama. Consequently He told Drona that Ashvatthama was dead. When Drona wanted to confirm this statement with Yudhishthira (Dharmaputra) who was known never to utter a lie, the latter stated that Ashvatthama was dead, but added very softly that it was the elephant, so that drona could not hear it. Drona was shocked by hearing that his son is dead. He bent on giving up his life, was easily beheaded by Dhrishtadyumna, an ally of the Pandavas.
