The association of Sibi Chakravarthy with this sthalam

Emperor Sibi was a predecessor of Sri Ramachandra. He spent time at SvEtagiri with his army on his way to Lanka to engage RavaNaa in combat and to teach him a lesson. Here, he saw a white boar (VarAham) and chased it until it disappeared in the crevices of the white slabs making up the hill. The Emperor was awestruck that the wild boar disappeared so fast right beforehis eyes. He saw sage Markandeyaa doing penance nearby. He saluted the sage and was instructed by the sage that he should perform Thirumanjanam (Abhishekam) for the white anthill nearby. The emperor carried out the instructions of the sage and was blessed with darsanam of the Lord.

Sibi built a temple for the Lord at the site of the Ant-hill (PuRRu) and settled 3,700 purva sikhaa Sri VaishNavas, who had their homes between Ganges and Yamuna. One of them died soon after settling there and Sibi chakravathi was saddened by the untimely death of the VaishNava. The Lord appeared before the sorrowing Sibi and comforted him with the statement that He will stand at ThiruveLLaRai in place of the VaishNava. Sibi dug five Pushkarani's for the Lord's worship today known as:

1. Varaha,
2. Padma,
3. Manikarnikaa,
4. Kuchasthi and
5. Gandha Pushkarni Theerthams.

It is a tradition here that those, who are childless can bathe in these theerthams on Sunday in the month of karthigai and have darsanam of the Lord to be blessed with progeny. There is yet another theertham known as Maamiyaar - MaNaatu PeNN theertham, which has the shape of a Swastik. Here, the shape of the tank makes it possible for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to take baths at the same time without catching the sight of each other!

Periyaazhwaar is a descendant of one of these Purva Sikhai Sri VaishNavas. Some of them also moved to Thirukkoshtiyur. Selva Nambi, the acharya of Periyaazhwar is also one of the descendants of these Purva Sikhai Sri VaishNavaas settled at Sri SvEtagiri by Sibi Chakravathi.

The breeze at ThiruveLLaRai is known for its medicinal qualities. It is rich and fragrant being laden with the scent of herbs and flower bushes occupying the numerous nandavanams. Swami Desikan pays tribute to the nandavanam in the Kshetram in his 40th slokam of Hamsa sandesam this way:

snigdhaacchaayam tadanu vitatam
tasya dhaameva neelam
neelirakshaa niyata lalitham
kaananam samvicheeyaa: |

Drushteh taasmin animasha vadhuoo
nitya nirvesa yogyeh
svargodhyaana sriyamapi laghum
masyateh maanasam teh ||

Meaning:

O My friend! After you had offered your worship to the Lord of ThiruveLLaRai (Slokam 39), Please do not miss seeing beautiful nandavanam of this divya desam. That expensive grove will have cool shade from the ever greens. It will be dark in hue like that of the Lord of this divya desam. A Rakshasi by name Neeli is forever protecting it and is keeping it safe and beautiful. The celestial damsels consider this nandavanam to be more beautiful than that of Indra and therefore they frequent this nandavanam at ThiruveLLaRai. It is sufficient that you see this nandavanam from the air itself without descending down. You will assess that this nandavanam is so far ahead of the divine gardens of Indra and will conclude firmly that the latter is not worth much attention.

Swami Desikan continues in the next slokam about the glory of the uniquely fragrant breeze of this Kshethram. All in all Swami Desikan devotes four slokas to ThiruveLLaRai Kshethram. The Lord of ThiruveLLaRai, Srirangam, Thiruvenkatam, Kanchi and Thirumaalirumchaolai are the other Archa Murthys besides that of ThiruveLLaRai that Swami Desikan salutes in his Hamsa Sandesam. That is the level of regard that Sawmi Desikan had for the Murthy of this sthalam.