Thiruparuttikunram

Thiruparuttikunram is a Divya Desam situated on or near the Jain hill (Kundavai malai) area in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity is Bhakthavatsala Perumal — Vishnu who is the protector and beloved of his devotees (bhaktha-vatsala means 'one who is affectionate toward devotees'). Thirumangai Alvar composed pasurams for this kshetra in his Periya Thirumozhi, celebrating the deity's compassion. Kanchipuram, one of the Sapta Puri, has long been a centre of both Shaiva, Vaishnava, and Jain religious traditions, and the presence of Jain monuments in the same hill area makes Thiruparuttikunram a uniquely layered sacred site. The temple is smaller and more intimate compared to the grand Varadaraja complex, and pilgrims often combine it with the broader Kanchipuram Divya Desam circuit. The name 'parutti' refers to the cotton plant, suggesting the area's historic agricultural character.

The local lore holds that a devoted woman (bhaktha) worshipped the deity here with cotton flowers (parutti flowers), which was considered unconventional. Vishnu, moved by the pure devotion expressed through simple cotton blooms, declared that devotion (bhakti) matters infinitely more than the prestige of the offerings — thereby earning the name Bhakthavatsala, the one who loves devotees. This mythology emphasises the accessible, non-hierarchical nature of Vishnu's compassion.