What are the Divya Desams outside India and where are they located?

The two Divya Desams beyond this world

The 108 Divya Desams are the sacred shrines of Vishnu celebrated in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the Tamil hymns sung by the Alvars. Most of these shrines are physical temples, nearly all in South India. But two of the 108 are described as existing beyond the earthly realm.

The first is Thiruppaarkadal, the Milky Ocean. This is the cosmic sea where Vishnu rests on the serpent Adi Shesha. It is not a place on any map. It belongs to the divine, mythic realm described in Puranic tradition.

The second is Paramapadam, also called Vaikuntham. This is the highest abode of Vishnu, the ultimate spiritual destination in Vaishnava belief. It is beyond the cycle of birth and death, beyond the physical universe entirely.

Both are praised in the Alvar hymns just as the earthly temples are, which is why the tradition counts them among the 108.

Why they are included

Including these two places in the list of 108 says something important about how the tradition thinks about sacred space. The Divya Desams are not just a pilgrimage map. They are a complete picture of where Vishnu dwells, from the temples of this world all the way to his eternal home. Vaishnava theological commentaries have discussed this point for centuries. The Alvars were singing about the full range of Vishnu's presence, not only what a pilgrim could reach on foot.

What this means for pilgrims today

Devotees who set out to visit all 108 Divya Desams understand that these two cannot be reached by travel. They are approached through prayer, meditation, and the recitation of the hymns. Some Vaishnava traditions hold that Paramapadam is reached at the end of the soul's journey, not during a lifetime. The earthly pilgrimage to the other 106 shrines is itself seen as a step toward that final destination.