Golden and Silver Lizard / Story

The lizard is considered to be a very important creature in such modes of communications. When a lizard steps into the puja room and stays there it's considered auspicious. They say that either your Guru or the Lord Himself rides on the lizard when they come "visiting".

The nature of the lizard in such cases is quite different. They tend to be fearless, hang around the deep dark corners of the room and come closer to the devotee as and when they wish, sometimes it's too close for comfort. A family is considered blessed and the home is believed to have positive vibrations when lizards come to live within the walls of its puja room. Lizards seem to have held a very strong place in function! Killing or harming lizards is considered one of the greatest "doshams"(negative effects) committed ever.

Even more intriguing is the fear that is triggered with the accumulation of "doshams" when a lizard falls over a person.They say that if a lizard fell over our head, something very inauspicious is going to happen, like probable death in the family, while if it falls on the foot it means travel. It looks like our ancestors didn't take to traveling very well, not half has lightly as we take it today. There might have been dangers they would have to face in the journey so avoiding travel was probably recommended.

In order to rid one off these negative effects our ancestors thought a lot for the masses. Interestingly found only in the Varadaraja Perumal temple at Kanchipuram is the silver and gold lizards on the ceiling of a small chamber in this temple. With mystical diagrams of the sun and moon near it, this large lizard is supposed to wipe out all the accumulated "doshams" if we get to touch it. There is an endless list of "doshams" given in our panchangam. The sun, moon and the lizard (palli) are related to astrology and give remedies with relation to our horoscopes for a more peaceful living. Touching these lizards on the ceiling nullifies the negative effects that we might have accumulated in the course of our living, knowingly or unknowingly.

Two disciples of Gauthama Rishi used to fill water every day for their Guru. One day, to their shock, they found a lizard jumping out when they placed the tumbler in front of their Guru. An angry Rishi cursed the two for their carelessness and they instantly turned into Lizards. 

The 2 disciples stayed here at Kanchipuram as lizards until Indra came, as Elephant Gajendra, to worship Varadarajan Perumal along with 

1. Sun(Golden Color) and 
2. Moon(Silver Color) 

relieved them from their curse. In memory of this, there is a golden lizard and a silver lizard outside the Varadarajan Sannidhi. Belief is that one will be relieved of all diseases if one prays to Lord Varadarajan and touches the Lizard on the way out.

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