Anbil Sundararaja Perumal Temple

Anbil Sundararaja Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Anbil village on the banks of the Kollidam River in Tiruchirappalli district, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams revered by the Alvars and is known as Vadivazhagiya Nambi Temple. Built in Dravidian architecture with Chola origins, the temple is noted for its legend of sage Valmiki and Brahma worshipping Vishnu here.

Visitors can expect a traditional Dravidian-style Vishnu temple complex on the Kollidam River bank with a three-tiered rajagopuram, pillared mandapas, and shrines for Sundararaja Perumal and Sundaravalli Thayar. The inner sanctum houses the standing Vishnu image, with separate shrines for Andal and other deities. The surroundings are rural and quiet, with temple courtyards for circumambulation, darshan queues, and spaces for prayer and viewing stone inscriptions and sculptures.

The temple is of Chola origin with inscriptions and later contributions attributed to Vijayanagara rulers. It exhibits classic Dravidian temple architecture with a three-tier gopuram, mandapas and stone inscriptions. The temple is historically documented as Anbilalanturai and has been maintained by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of Tamil Nadu.

The temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the sacred Vishnu temples revered in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham by the Alvar saints, particularly Tirumangai Alvar. The presiding deity is worshipped as Sundararaja Perumal and Vadivazhagiya Nambi, and the temple is associated with legends of Brahma and sage Valmiki worshipping Vishnu at this site. Annual festivals such as Vaikunta Ekadashi and Brahmotsavam are observed.