SrI
nammAzhwAr refers to this Divya dEsam as SrI vara mangala nagar. This is
one of the 8 swayam vyaktha kshEthrams (where the idol of the Lord appeared by
itself). This divya dEsam is also referred to as “vAnamAmalai” and
“thOthAdri kshEthram”.
[This will open in a new window]
Location and Access:
This divya dEsam is located about 25 km from TirunelvEli in
south Tamil nAdu, on the way to nAgarkoil from TirunelvEli. A visit to this
Divya dEsam may be combined with nearby Divya dEsams like Tirukkurungudi and
the AzhwAr nava thirupathi-s near TirunelvEli. This divya dEsam is the
headquarters of the vAnamAmalai Mutt. The pontiff of this Mutt is part of a
direct lineage of AchAryAs that was established by Sri MaNavALa mAmunigaL.
nAngunEri by itself is a very small town with not much by
way of lodging facilities. Pilgrims may, however stay at the vAnamAmalai mutt
after making arrangements in advance. TirunelvEli, is a big town with ample
lodging facilities. Buses and auto-rickshaws are available from TirunelvEli to
nAngunEri.
As the name nAngunEri indicates, this place is home to a
huge lake (Eri in Tamil). It is possible that, once upon a time, there were
four lakes in this area (nangu = four in Tamil).
The Temple:
The temple is a fairly big one, and a leisurely walk through
the temple covering all sannidhis will take about 1-2 hours. Personally, I feel
you can spend half a day at this temple exploring
the rich architecture and the numerous sannidhis.
The front of the temple is crowned with a 9-tiered rAja
gOpuram, with a pandal mandapam in front of it. The temple corridors (prakArAs)
are liberally adorned with beautiful sculptures. In one corner of the temple is
a stone tank about 25 ft by 15 ft. This tank is used to store the oil with which
abhishEkam for Sri PerumAL is done. This oil is believed to have wonderful
curative properties.
The main sanctum sanctorum of the temple has Sri Perumal
seated under the hood of Adi sEshan, flanked by Sri dEvi and bhU dEvi. The main
deity (mUlavar) is goes by the name of thOthAdrinAthan, from which the Divya
dEsam derives the name thOthAdri. The celestial damsels Urvasi and tilOttamA
are seen fanning the Lord from either side. The uthsavar is Sri DeivanAyakan.
The thAyAr here is SrI vara mangai thAyAr, from whom the divya dEsam derives
its official name.
There are separate sannidhis for two thAyArs. There are also
separate sannidhis for SrI Rama-sIta-Lakshmana, SrI chakrathAzhwAr, SrI lakshmi
varAhar and SrI vishvaksEnar.
Legends and History:
- This
temple has been glorified by SrI nammAzhwAr. There is no separate idol of
nammAzhwAr anywhere in the temple, since the satAri of SrI perumAL has an
image of nammAzhwAr engraved on it.
- Legend
has it that the sages - SrI mArkandEya and SrI bhrigu, in addition to
Brahma and indrA were blessed by the Lord at this divya dEsam.
- The
king of Sindh was cursed by SrI kushAsana rishi and attained the form of a
dog. Legend has it that he was relieved of the curse by bathing in the
temple tank here.
- The
pontiff of the vAnamAmalai mutt here belongs to a lineage of AchAryAs that
was established by SrI maNavALa mAmuni. Once a year, the pontiff wears a
ring that was once worn by the latter.
- According
to this sthala purANam, when Lord SrI Vishnu killed the demons madhu and
kaitabhA, Mother Earth got polluted, and sought purification from the Lord
by worshipping Him here. She was blessed by Him and attained purification.
Mother Earth also came to be known as mEdinI thenceforth.
AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:
nammAzhwAr 3183-93
[Note: The numbering convention
for the pAsurams seems to differ in various Divya Prabandham books. In some
Divya Prabandham books, the same pAsurams by nammAzhwAr are found between numbers 2590-2600]
A sample pAsuram:
நோற்ற நோன்பிலேன் நுண்ணறி விலேன்
ஆகிலும் இனி யுன்னைவிட்டு ஒன்றும்
ஆற்றகிற் கின்றிலேன் அரவினணை யம்மானே
சேற்றுத் தாமரை செந்நெ லூடுமலர் சிரீவரமங்கல நகர்
வீற்றிருந்த எந்தாய்! உனக்கு மிகையல்லேன் அங்கே
In this pAsuram, SrI nammAzhwAr calls
out to the Lord as - O Lord reclining on the serpent! O Lord, O my mother, who
is seated in SrI vara mangala nagar (replete with lotus ponds and paddy fields)
! AzhwAr humbly concedes to the Lord
that he has not done any penance, and that he is of meagre intelligence. Yet,
he cannot bear separation from Him.
External references:
