Thalsayanaperumal at the shore temple of Mahabalipuram

I discovered the Sthalasayana perumal of Pallava period in a niche in the shore temple, facing east and sandwiched between the two sannidhi's of Siva.

It is a very small and dark sanctum that could be reached only by squeezing through a narrow rock cut corridor. The place in front of the reclining deity can barely accommodate 3 or at most 4, people at a time!

This deity sculpted from rock is no longer worshipped .Though it was once .Seeing the reclining form ,without any adornments was sad,yet sacred and holy.God seemed to be relaxing ,taking a break from public gaze.I felt that I was prying into his privacy,in that tiny space hidden under rocks and forgotten by the world. The only sound that could be heard is the crashing of the waves on the shore that is close by.The only sounds to disturb his meditative stillness.

It was relaxing as well as a moving moment and I was reluctant to leave.

But I had to ,presently,so as to be in time to witness the abhishekam of the processional deities and that of Bhoodat Azhwar in the 14 th century temple ,a few yards away.

The lore goes ,that in this shore temple that is dedicated primarily to Siva, Vishnu was enshrined as a after thought to tame the raging waves of the nearby sea and to protect the temple. He has ,ever since ,did precisely, that.

The shore temple.The smaller one at the front houses a deity and Vishnu right behind that deity.The bigger one at the back houses a lingam and Siva.
The front view of the shore temple enshrining Siva and Vishnu.A woman accompanied by her son seen at the back, an villager had come here only to have a darshan of Thalasayanaperumal.Whilst I got to know the existence of this sannidhi through books she not literate,had this knowledge, handed down from her ancestors and folk lore..
The very narrow passage cut in rock leading to perumal sannidhi.It is also the circumbulatory passage.
Thalasayanaperumal or Vishnu in a reclining position on the floor in a niche' facing east and behind the main deity Siva.He is lying on the floor and not on adhisesha.Resting his head on his arms.Since my flash is not working this is the only clarity, in this dark alcove.
The small rock cut vimanam of Thalasayana perumal at the shore temple.
The tank at the side of the shore temple built by NarsimhaPallava that enshrines Vishnu in a reclining position.