Vaikhanasa

Vaikhanasa refers to a tradition within Vaishnavism that centers on the worship of Vishnu in temples according to the Vaikhanasa agama, a codified set of ritual and temple practices. The term denotes both the theological orientation and the priestly lineages that carry out these rites. The Vaikhanasa Agama is the primary scripture for this tradition, detailing temple layout, iconography, daily rites, offerings, and the consecration of sacred images. The tradition emphasizes Vishnu in his Narayana-Vishnu form, typically accompanied by Lakshmi, with temple worship oriented toward the deity as a supreme, transcendent being who resides in the sanctum of the temple.

In Vaikhanasa temples, the daily cycle includes elaborate offerings, arati, abhisheka, and ritual sevas conducted by priests from hereditary Vaikhanasa families. The liturgical tradition prescribes specific invocations, mantras, and sequences of devotion tied to the temple calendar. Iconography conforms to canonical forms, and temple architecture follows Vaikhanasa prescriptions for sanctum arrangement and processional ways.

Geographically, Vaikhanasa rites have been influential in the Andhra region and in parts of South India, where temple culture and priestly lineages have long been associated with this tradition. In the broader Vaishnavism landscape, Vaikhanasa is commonly juxtaposed with Pancharatra; both are ancient streams that shaped temple worship and theology, though they differ in liturgy, iconography, and ritual practice, reflecting regional variations within Vaishnavism.