Swayambhu Kshetras

The undivided Hindu nation is famous for its sacred shrines. These holy shrines include Swayambhu temples, temples built by sages and temples constructed by human beings. Swayambhu temples are superior to temples built by sages and human beings. The eight divine shrines where Lord Vishnu incarnated on earth are the temples at Srirangam, Tirumala, Kallahalli, Tirunelveli, Nepal, Pushkar, Naimisharanyam and Badrinath. Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy incarnated on earth at the beginning of Kali Era. Ranganatha of Srirangam, Bh00 Varahaswamy of Kallahalli, Sri Thothadrinathan at Tirunelveli, Muktinath in Nepal, Varaha Swamy at Pushkar, Lakshminarayan of Naimishar and Badrinarayan at Badrinath, along  with the Anantha Padmanabh at Kesaragad of Karnataka are incarnated during Krutha, Thretha and Dwapara Eras. The narration of the nine Swayambhu Shrines detailed below.

Sri Ranganathaswamy

Srirangam is a Vaishnav shrine located in Tamil Nadu state, where Ranganatha was associated with Ranganayaki. Srirangam is important in the 108 Divya Deshams glorified by the Alvars. Ranganathaa Swamy Temple complex in Srirangam is one of the largest temple complexes in India. It is an island between the rivers Kaveri and its tributary Kollidam, close to Tiruchirappalli. It is the largest Hindu temple in the world popularly known as Vaikunth on earth. Srirangam Ramanatha Temple was built by the 44th Jiyar Swamy of Ahobila Math. Priests chant every day with hymn “Sriman Srirangasriya Manupadravan Andanam Samvardhana”. Ranganatha rests on Adiseshu and give darshan.

Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy

After the end of incarnation of Lord Krishna and at the beginning of the Kali Era (i.e.) five thousand one hundred years ago, when Maha Lakshmi had a quarrel with Lord Vishnu and left Vaikunth, Lord Vishnu in the form of Venkateswara come down to earth and settled on the Tirumala hills in search of his consort. He was unable to findout Maha Lakshmi, and married Padmavati, the daughter of the Akasaraja, four thousand years ago. Fifty years later, Venkateswara get enshrined Goddess Lakshmi on his heart and turned into a stone idol. At Thirumala, also known as Kaliyuga Vaikuntha, Sri Venkateswara Swamy established himself with Bhudevi and Padmavati to bless the devotees.

Naimisharanyam

Naimisharanyam is a forest town located at a distance of 32 km from Sitapur in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Naimisharanyam is very calm due to forest area. Nimisar Temple is popularly known as the Lakshminarayana Temple. Brahma, Vishnu, Sati and Shiva are associated with the Naimisharanya Temple. Naimisharanya Temple is the abode of 33 deities of Hinduism. The temple is one of the eight Swayambhuh shrines of Lord Vishnu.

Badrinath    

Badrinath is a city and a municipality and one of the Char Dharm Shrines along with Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath in the Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts in the state of Uttarakhand. It is the gateway to mountaineering Badri, Nilakantha and other mountains. Badri is the smallest and most edible fruit (Regu) in the region and Nath means husband. According to local mythology, Lord Vishnu started penance here for the welfare of all living beings. Lakshmi protected Lord Vishnu from the adverse weather conditions in the form of a Badri tree (Regu) while performing penance. Since he is the husband of Lakshmi in the form of Badri Tree, the shrine called as Badrinath and the deity as Badrinaryan.  

Muktinath

Muktinath is one of the 108 Divine Lands and the main temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is located at an elevation of 12000 ft above sea level in the Muktinath Valley at Matsang on the Torang La mountain pass in Nepal. It is the fourth shrine along with Barsha, Pashupati, and Ruhu of the  Char Dham temples in Nepal. Pilgrimage center to Hindus and Buddhists.Muktinath is described in Gandaki Mahathyam of Vishnu Puran. Muktinath Darshan is considered to be a boon of Lord Vishnu where Lord Vishnu is worshiped in the holy place. It is believed that Lord Vishnu, along with Sridevi and Bhudevi, bestowed salvation to the devotees at this temple. The idols of Goda Devi and Ramanuja are established by Shree Shree Shatagopa Ramanuja Jiyar Swami in the temple.

Varaha Swamy Temple Pushkar

There is a legend for incarnation  of Lord Vishnu as Varaha. Jay and Vijay are the janitors to Vaikunth. They had great devotion to Lord Vishnu and used to send those who came to see Vishnu into Vaikunth. Once they intercepted Sanakudu, Sanatanadu, Sanandanudu and Sanatkumara called to be Sanathkumaarulu and sons born from the heart of Lord Brahma, when they came to Vaikunth for the darshan of Lord Vishnu who is in solitude with Maha Lakshmi. The enraged Sanathkumaras cursed them to be born human and stay away from the service of Lord Vishnu. Then Vishnu came and told that they stopped as they are devotees to him. He asked to withdraw the curse. Sanathkumara said that they could not withdraw the curse. Lord Vishnu blessed them to be born seven times as his devotees or to be born three times as his enemies to be killed by him to get relief from the curse. Jay and Vijay told that they could not leave Vishnu and sought permission to born three times as demons to be slaughtered by Lord Vishnu to get relief from the curse. They were first born as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu in the Krutha Era and later as Ravana and Kumbhakarna in the Treta Era and finally as Shishupal and Dantavakth in the Dvapara Era and were slaughtered by the incarnations of Lord Vishnu and joined Vaikuntham.

Bhoo Varahaswamy

Bhu Varahaswamy Temple is located on the banks of the river Hemavati in the village of Cuddalore near Mysore in the state of Karnataka. The temple is ancient. The temple is square and built of red stone but does not look like this from the outside.  The temple consists of a sanctum and a porch in two parts. Varaha is the third among the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The deity is also known as Pralaya Varaha Nrusimha Swamy. Lord Vishnu incarnates as Varaha Swamy to save Bhudevi from Demon Hiranyaksha. Bhooh Varaha Swamy with eighteen feet height appears wearing a crown on a black Shaligram rock in a sitting posture with white beaks and red eyes in gray color.The right leg of Varaha Swamy will be on the ground, the left leg is folded at three and half feet high and Bhudevi appears in sitting posture on his thigh holding the lotus with one hand and caught the lord around with her other hand.  Varah Swamy has four hands, the metal conch in the upper left hand, holds Bhudevi with the lower left hand and the Abhaya Mudra in the lower right hand.

Vanamamalai Perumal

Vanamamalai Perumal Temple is one of the 108 Divinities of Lord Vishnu. It is one of the eight Swayambhu shrines of Lord Vishnu. The temple is located in the village of Vanamamalai near Tirunelveli on the banks of the river Tamraparni in the state of Tamil Nadu. Vanamamalai gave a darshan to Adiseshu and Garuda here. The temple is built according to Dravidian architecture and is glorified in the Divine Prabhanda. Lord Vishnu is worshiped here with the name of Vanamamalai Perumal and his consort Lakshmi Devi is worshiped with the name of Varamanagi. The temple was built during the reign of the Pandya kings and was developed during the reign of the Vijayanagara kings and the Madurai Nayakas. The temple tower has five stairs high and the temple is spread over an area of ​​five acres. The temple is exemplified in the Brahmanda, Skanda and Nrusimha Puranas.