Gunaseelam
lies 16 km away
from Tiruchirapali.
The place has been
named after the
famous saint Gunaseelar.
 It
is said that one
Gunaseelar went
to Tirumalai and
had a darshan of
Lord Venkateshwara.He
was very moved by
this site that he
could not bear the
idea of being separated
from him. He pleaded
with the Lord to
come with him to
the banks of the
Cauvery. The Lord
said that at present
he could not leave
Tirumalai but if
Gunaseelam conducts
penance staunchly
in the banks of
the Cauvery River
Vaikuntavasa Sri
Narayan would appear.
Gunaseelam did as
he was told and
after many yugas
Venkatachalapathy
appeared in the
ashram in the form
of a swayambhu lingam.
After some time
Gunaseelam left
with his Guru to
Badrinath with the
Lord’s permission
after appointing
a young boy to look
after the lingam.
The boy however
ran away and subsequently
an ant hill was
built on the Lingam.
Many years later
king Gnana Varman
happened to reveal
it and built a temple
over it. The Lord
is said to be Prasanna
Venkatesa Perumal.
The temple has been
built magnificently
and many devotees
throng the temple.
Gunaseelam can be
reached by road.
The nearest railway
station is Tiruchirappalli.
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