Swayam Vyakta Kshetras

Swayam Vyakta Kshetras or Swayam Vyakta Sthalams are a group of 8 pilgrimages where Lord Vishnu is said to be self-manifested. The pilgrimages are: Srirangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri (Tirumala), Salagrama (Muktinath), Naimisha (Naimisharanya), Thoyadri (Thiruneermalai) or Thotadri (Vanamamalai), Pushkara and Nara Narayana Ashrama (Badrinath).
Refer to Swayam Vyakta Kshetra Sloka
(Note: DD stands for Divya Desam)

आद्यं रङ्गमिति प्रोक्तं विमानं रङ्गसंज्ञितम् । श्रीमुष्णं वेङ्कटाद्रिं च साळग्रामं च नैमिशम् ।
तोयाद्रिं पुष्करं चैव नरनारायणाश्रमम् । अष्टौ मे मूर्तयः सन्ति स्वयंव्यक्ता महीतले ॥
- Swayam Vyakta Sthalams

1. Srirangam: (DD-1)

► Srirangam (Bhuloka Vaikuntha) (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) (Divya Desam) (Pancha Ranga Kshetra)
(Tiruchirappalli district, Tamil Nadu)

▬ River Kaveri flows
▬ River Kollidam flows
◆ Kaveri - Kollidam Island
(Tamil Nadu Plain)

(Sriranga Mahatmya)

- Lord Vishnu abides in Srirangam (which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) as Sri Ranganatha Swamy.

2. Srimushnam:

► Srimushnam (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra)
(Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu)

▬ River Vellar basin
(Tamil Nadu Plain)

- Lord Varaha abides in Srimushnam (which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) as Sri Bhu Varaha Swamy.
- According to legend, Srimushnam temple tank known as Nithya Pushkarini was formed from the perspiration of Lord Varaha when he killed demon Hiranyaksha. River Ganga flowed from the toe of the Lord, but Nithya Pushkarini was formed from the whole body of the Lord.

3. Venkatadri: (DD-75)

► Tirumala (Venkatachala) (976 m) (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) (Divya Desam)
(Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh)

☗ Front part of Seshachalam (of Eastern Ghats)
☗ Seven Hills:
(1) Sheshadri Hill
(2) Neeladri Hill
(3) Garudadri Hill
(4) Anjanadri Hill
(5) Vrishabhadri Hill
(6) Narayandri Hill
(7) Venkatadri
◼ Swami Pushkarini (Temple Tank)
(Andhra Pradesh Ghats)
(Skanda Purana - Venkatachala Mahatmya)

- Lord Vishnu abides in Tirumala or Venkatachala (which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) as Srinivasa or Venkateshwara. Lord Srinivasa married Devi Padmavathy in Venkatachala.

4. Salagrama: (DD-70)

► Muktinath (3710 m) (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) (Divya Desam) (Shakti Peetha)
(Mustang district, Nepal)

☗ Muktinath Valley
▬ River Gandaki flows
(Nepal Himalayas)

(Peetha Nirnaya Tantra)

- Lord Vishnu abides in Muktinath (which a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) as Sri Chakrapani.

5. Naimisha: (DD-66)

► Naimisharanya (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) (Divya Desam)
(Sitapur district, Uttar Pradesh)

▬ River Gomati flows → Raj Ghat (Aarti)
(Middle Ganga Plain)

(Mahabharata)
(Padma Purana)

- Lord Vishnu abides in Naimisharanya (which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) as Chakra Narayana of Chakra Teertha. The Satyanarayana Vrata is said to have started from Naimisharanya.

6a. Thoyadri: (DD-61)

► Thiruneermalai (Thoyadri) (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) (Divya Desam)
(Chennai district, Tamil Nadu)

☗ Thiruneermalai Hill or Thoyadri Hill
◼ Ksheera Pushkarini (Temple Tank)
(Tamil Nadu Plain)

- Lord Vishnu abides in Thiruneermalai or Thoyadri Kshetra (which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) as Sri Ranganatha Swamy.

6b. Thotadri: (DD-90)

► Vanamamalai (Thotadri) (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) (Divya Desam)
(Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu)

▬ River Thamirabarani (Tamrapani) flows
(Tamil Nadu Plain)

- Lord Vishnu abides in Vanamamalai or Thotadri Kshetra (which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) as Sri Thotadrinathan.

7. Pushkara:

► Pushkar (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) (Shakti Peetha) (Pancha Sarovar)
(Ajmer district, Rajasthan)

☗ Gayatri Temple Hill
☗ Savitri Temple Hill
◼ Pushkar Lake
(Aravalli Range)
(Padma Purana)

- Lord Varaha abides in Pushkar (which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) since ancient times.

8. Nara Narayana Ashrama: (DD-69)

► Badrinath (3300 m) (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) (Divya Desam) (All India Char Dham) (Uttarakhand Char Dham) (Sapta Badri)
(Chamoli district, Uttarakhand)

☗ Nara Parvat
☗ Narayana Parvat
▬ River Alakananda flows
• Pancha Dharas:
(1) Prahlada Dhara
(2) Kurma Dhara
(3) Bhrigu Dhara
(4) Urvashi Dhara
(5) Indira Dhara
(Uttarakhand Himalayas (Garhwal))

(Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)

- Lord Vishnu abides in Badrinath or Badarikashrama (which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) as Badri Vishal.

Bharatavarsha - The Land of Gods and Sages:

• Stotras

• Scriptures

• Pilgrimages - by Groups - by Deities - by States - by Geography

• Sacred Geography - Mountains - Rivers

• Festivals

• Sages - Hermitages - Penances

• Saints - Ramakrishna - Vivekananda - Ramana

• Sadhana

• Sanskrit

• Nature

• Arts and Sciences

• Bharatavarsha - Puranic History - Puranic Lineage