The temple of the Supreme Doctor Vaidhya Veeraraghavar Temple, Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu)

Sri Vaidhya Veeraraghava Temple is one of the 108 Divya Deschamps. Markandeya Purana provides many details regarding this temple. Temple pond here is very famous for its health benefits.

Legend...

A sage named Salihotra had his hermitage in this place. He used to make prasad after taking bath in the temple tank and offered half of the prasad who asks, on each Amavasya day, and will consume the rest himself. He was an ardent devotee of Maha Vishnu. To test his devotion Vishnu appeared as an old Brahmana. He requested Salihotra to offer him food, which the sage did. Brahman felt hungry and requested the sage to offer more food. The sage offered the other half portion of food which he used to consume himself. Then the old man asked for a place to rest.

The sage readily offered his hermitage. On arriving at the hermitage, Sriman Narayana gave darshan to Sage Salihotra. Maha Vishnu promised that he would permanently stay there and relieve everyone's diseases who prays to him after taking a holy dip in the tank on Amavasya.

Thus Vishnu is called Sri Vaidhya Veeraraghava Swamy. Here Veeraraghava Swamy is in Bhujanga Shayanam facing east. His right hand blesses the sage Salihotra and his left hand in gnana mudra preaches to Brahma. The sacred tank here is known as Hrittapanasini.

Sloka which describes the sanctity of the tank:

“Darsanat sparsanat snanat, Sadyo hrittapanasanah, Ato sarveshu lokeshu, Namna Hrittapanasanah”

The tank is so holy that evens a sight or a touch or a bath would immediately dispel all anguish of heart.