This is a hill temple with 500 steps and 48 pillars indicating a Mandala duration.  Mandalam means 48 days.  The flag post (kodimaram) of the temple has sculptures describing the history of the temple.  There is a platform in the mandap on the right of the sanctum sanctorum called Chitra Rath Mandap where the Lord drank milk.  Devotees place their hands on the two corners of the platform during worship.  The hands come automatically closer to each other which the devotees consider an acknowledgment of their prayers.

Devotees pray for high farm yields, family prosperity, timely marriage and child boon.

Perumal here is quite different from other Vishnu temples.  He is being worshipped as a child, because, He came here as a child.  Hence, there are no consorts with Him.  Yet He appears with a twisted moustache and beard.  He does not hold His discus and conch.  The procession deity graces with Mothers Rukmini and Satyabama.  People sing bajans – Krishna Leela and Ramavatara glory on Saturdays.  During Onam, a three day special Yagasala pujas are performed.  The garland worn by Sri Andal in Srivilliputhur temple is brought to this temple to be offered to the Lord.

A three day festival is celebrated in the temple every alternate year in Panguni month (March-April).  Lord Chendrayar leaves the hill for the plains on the night of the fourth Friday where special pujas and celebrations take place.  A special folklore called Thevarattam occupies the celebrations.  It is woven on a story. 

When Lord Shiva picked off one of the five heads of Lord Brahmma, it stuck into His hands.  To release it, Lord Shiva went to Indraloka, where Lord Vishnu entered the Indra court as clown wearing a girl’s skirt and blouse, with beard and moustache, wearing pearls and a drum in His hands.  Everyone in the court burst into a boisterous laughter.  The head of Brahmma also laughed and fell down.  This dance is called Thevarattam.  During this programme, it is said that the idols also dances.

On Saturday, next day, Lord’s wedding festival with Rukmini and Satyabama is celebrated when women sing the Nalungu songs wearing only saris.  They spill turmeric water on the Lord as the Gopikas did in Gokhulam.

The last day-third day festival is observed on the philosophy and nothing could be taken by a person when he/she expires however prosperous and happy their life was during their earthly life time.  To emphasize this philosophy, Lord is placed in a hut, replacing all His gorgeous dresses with saffron clothes.  He returns back to His hill temple then in the same dress.

Sri Krishna Jayanthi: Special pujas are performed in the temple on Sri Krishna Jayanthi – Lord Krishna’s birth day.  Lord is placed in a cradle and honey is fed in his tongue.  Also they place in the shrine of the Lord a medicine made of palm sugar, garlick, asafoetida etc., as given to women after delivering the child.  Devotees also offer such popular preparations of Tamilnadu as Murukku, Cheedai, Athirasam and sweets so dear to Lord Krishna.  Women also celebrate the birth of the Lord with a dance called kittipandhu.

Chennama Naicker, a Krishna devotee belonging to Krishnadevaraya dynasty was living here grazing the cow herds.  While returning home on a day, he found one cow missing.  He found the cow near the hill with a boy drinking its milk.  He was stunned to see a cow that had not delivered a calf was feeding a boy and concluded that it should be an act of God and hid himself to see what would happen further.  The boy called Naicker and granted His darshan.  He told Naicker that He wished to stay in the hill and asked him to build a temple for Him.  As Lord Vishnu goes to the devotee (Chendru) directly Himself, He was named Chendru Aaya (gracing) Perumal.