ThiruvallavAzh divya dEsam (ThiruvallA)

This beautiful malai nAdu divya dEsam is located in TiruvallA town.

Location and Access:

TiruvallA town is located near Kottayam in kEraLa. The town is on the rail route from Kollam to Ernakulam. The temple is about 5 km from the train station. The divya dEsam is also accessible by bus. There is a chowltry (a resting place; nowadays the word usually refers to a wedding hall) very close to the ThiruvallavAzh temple where pilgrims can stay for a nominal charge. It is also possible to cook in the chowltry.

ThiruvallA is a very good travel base to cover six Divya dEsams located not too far from one another. These six divya dEsams are: ThiruvallavAzh, ThirukkadithAnam, ThiruvAranviLai, ThirupuliyUr, ThiruchenkunrUr and ThiruvaNvandUr. All these six Divya dEsams can be covered in 1-2 days. Details of these Divya dEsams will be posted one by one on this blog.

The Temple:

The temple is not very big and can be easily covered in about 45 minutes. The temple is built in the typical kEraLA divya-dEsam structure, with a conical roof over the main sanctum and a stone platform in front of the sanctum. There is a spacious, open prakAram around the main sanctum. The thAyAr here is Sri Selva thirukkozhundhu nAchiyAr, also known as vAtsalya dEvi. There is a temple tank nearby. The Lord here is in a standing position and goes by the names of kOlappirAn, thiruvAzhmArban and SrI vallabhan.A unique feature of this temple is that there is a sannidhi for Sri ChakrathAzhwAr behind the sannidhi of Sri PerumAL.  It is not common to see a sannidhi for Sri ChakrathAzhwAr in the malai nAdu divya dEsams. 

Legends and History:

Legend has it that, a female devotee by the name of Shankara Mangalathammai used to religiously observe a fast every EkAdEsi day and then serve food to a brahmachAri on the next day. A demon called tOlakAsuran started harassing her and began creating hurdles in her religious practice. Sri perumAL appeared as a brahmachAri and slew the demon. In compliance with the wish of His devotee, SrI perumAL stayed at this place with Sri mahAlakshmi visible on His chest to bless all those who come to worship at this shrine. Hence the name Sri vallabhan for the Lord.

Another legend associated with this kShEthram is that of a person named GhantAkarNA. He was instructed by ShivA to worship Lord Sri Vishnu through the eight-syllabled ashtAkshara manthrA. To avoid hearing any extraneous noises, GhantAkarnA tied a bell to each of his ears and worshipped Lord Sri Vishnu and secured His Grace. The theertham in this Divya dEsam is called GhantAkarNa theertham.

It is also believed that the idol of the Lord here was installed by the sage Sri durvAsa, and that the sage visits  the temple every night to worship his Lord.

I had the opportunity to visit tiruvallA as part of a tour group. We stayed overnight in the chowltry near the temple. In the early hours of the morning, we were woken up by the sound of music and dance from the temple. I walked over to the temple and saw a group performing kathakali dance in front of the temple. There were no other people around except the performers. Later I asked one of the locals why there was a dance performance for no audience. The reply was that the performers were dancing for the entertainment of the Lord and not any human. I was amazed at this intensity of devotion.

AzhwAr mangaLasAsanams:

Thirumangai AzhwAr: 1808-17, 2674(118)

SrI nammAzhwAr: 3205-15

[Note: The numbering convention for the pAsurams seems to differ in various Divya Prabandham books. In some Divya Prabandham books, the same pAsurams by srI nammAzhwAr are listed as verse numbers 2612-22]

A sample pAsuram:

நாமங்கள் ஆயிரம் உடைய நம்பெருமான் அடிமேல்
சேமம் கொள் குருகூர்ச் சடகோபன் தெரிந்து உரைத்த
நாமங்கள் ஆயிரத்துள் இவை பத்தும் திருவல்லவாழ்
சேமம் கொள் தென் நகர்மேல் செப்புவார் சிறந்தார் பிறந்தே  

Sri nammAzhwAr has glorified the Feet of the Lord of a thousand Names at ThiruvallavAzh through a set of ten pAsurams. In this pAsuram Sri nammAzhwAr says that those who chant this set of ten pAsurams on the Lord of thiruvallavAzh will attain a celebrated birth.

Sri vAtsalya dEvi samEtha Sri vallabhan thiruvadigaLae saraNam

Thiruvananthapuram Divya dEsam

[Click on above pictures to enlarge. Source of pictures unknown.]

A divya dEsam that combines delicate beauty with royal majesty, Thiruvananthapuram provides a sublime experience for the devotee.  Lord Anantha padmanAbha Swami resting on Adi sEshan is an awe-inspiring sight to behold. Like the nearby divya dEsam of ThiruvattAru, there are three entrances to the sannidhi to facilitate the devotees’ vision of the entire thirumEni of the Lord. Everything in this temple is grand and beautiful. The temple follows the kEraLa protocol of worship that maintains a superlative degree of discipline and purity.

Lately this Divya dEsam has been in the news for the putative discovery of treasure in the secret chambers of this temple. There have been several estimates of these riches – all varying depending on the imagination and fantasy of the reporters.  Quite understandably, there are also media reports and rumours of more riches awaiting discovery in the temple. There are also numerous stories of the underground secret chambers being filled with snakes, protected by magic spells etc. Whether these are true is best left to individual imagination. Incidentally, there are plenty of similar stories about many temples in India that have kindled the ambitions of treasure-seekers. Most, if not all, of these stories have been proven to be completely untrue. The real treasure in this temple is the Compassion and Grace of Lord Sri Anantha padmanAbha Swami!

Location and Access:

Thiruvananthapuram is the capital city of the south Indian state of kEraLA. It is well connected by rail, road and air (airport code TRV). It has a wide variety of food and stay options to cater to all budgets. The divya dEsam of Thiruvananthapuram is located close (approx. 1 km) from the city’s railway station.

The Temple:

The mUlavar here is SrI anantha padmanAbha swAmi perumAL and the thAyAr is SrI hari Lakshmi (no separate sannidhi for thAyAr). The theertham is called Matsya theertham and the vimAnam is known as hEmakUda vimAnam.  The main gopuram of the temple is very broad. The thirumEni of the Lord is so huge (about 18 feet) that He has to be viewed through three doors in the sannidhi. The mUlavar here has a very serene expression on His divine face. The sanctum is illuminated only by ghee and oil lamps. The thirumEni of the Lord is said to be made of over 10000 sAlagrAmam stones. The uthsavar with thAyArs is also seen in the sannidhi. SridEvi and bhUdEvi are also seen seated in front of the mUlavar. SivA and brahmA are also seen in the sanctum. The right Hand of the Lord is seen hanging over a Siva lingA and brahmA is seen seated on a lotus that emerges from the Lord’s navel. There is also a small sannidhi for Sri rAmA near the main sanctum.

There is a huge stone platform in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Immediately outside the sanctum is a beautiful mandapam with silver plated stone pillars. Outside this mandapam, there is a very beautiful, small sannidhi for SrI yOga narasimhA.

The temple has huge corridors adorned with beautiful sculptures – made of both wood and stone.  In fact, it can be argued that the sculptures here are the most beautiful and delicate among all the divya dEsams. There is a separate sannidhi for Sri KrishnA.  The temple’s architecture is very different from the traditional kEraLA style. In fact, it seems to combine elements of the Dravidian (Tamil nAdu style) architecture with kEraLA elements.

The temple can be fully covered in a couple of hours (if not crowded), although you could spend a lifetime enjoying the beauty of this temple. I had the opportunity of visiting the temple between 3.30-5 AM and it was a wonderful experience. Visiting the temple at this time also gives us an opportunity to watch the thirumanjanam for the uthsavar in the sanctum. Also, when I visited temple there was a group of three devotees circumambulating the temple singing  MalayALam songs in praise of the Lord to the tune of a tambura in gentle tones. It was a mesmerizing experience.

Legends and History:

According to legend, an ascetic divAkara yOgi prayed to Sri perumAL intensely. The Lord incarnated as a 2 year old child and stayed with the yOgi. One day, while the yOgi was performing his daily prayers, the child took one of his salagramam stones and put it in its mouth. Irritated at this, the yOgi scolded the child. The latter ran away and was followed by the yOgi. Even as the yOgi watched, the child entered the hollow of a tree. The tree fell apart and Sri Vishnu Himself appeared in a huge form. divAkara yOgi prayed that the Lord reduce His size. Accordingly the Lord assumed His current form (as in Thiruvananthapuram).

The exact age of the temple is still debated. The temple is mentioned in several purANAs (epics). Official records date back to the 7-8^th centuries AD. The recorded history of the temple is very strongly linked to the royal family of Travancore in kEraLA.  King mArthAnda varmA (regnal period 1729-58) was a powerful monarch who consolidated the territories of the Travancore Kingdom. He surrendered the Kingdom to the Lord Sri ananthapadmanAbha swAmi and declared himself  a vassal of the Lord. Since then, the kings of the Travancore Royal Family have called themselves “padmanAbha dAsa” (servants of Sri padmanAbhA) and have ruled the kingdom on His behalf. Even today the King of the Travancore Royal Family is visits the temple every day. If he is not able to visit on a particular day, he is obligated to pay a fine!

AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:

nammAzhwAr 3678-88

[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 is listed as #3085-3095]

A sample pAsuram:

கெடும் இடராயவெல்லாம் கேசவா என்ன  நாளும்

கொடுவினை செய்யும்கூற்றின் தமர்களும் குறுககில்லார்

விடமுடை யரவில்பள்ளி விரும்பினான் சுரும்பலற்றும்

தடமுடை வயல் அனந்த புரநகர் புகுதும் இன்றே       

In this pAsuram, Sri nammAzhwAr states that all our misery will be destroyed if we chant the sacred name of “kEsavA”. Also, if we chant this Name, the emissaries of Yama will not approach us. So Sri nammAzhwAr exhorts us to go to “ananthapura-nagar”(Thiruvananthapuram) surrounded by agricultural fields, where the Lord reclines on a venomous serpent.

This divya dEsam has also been glorified by SwAmi dEsikan.

SrI hari lakshmi thAyAr samEtha SrI anantha padmanAbha swAmi  thiruvadigaLae saraNam

ThiruvattAru Divya dEsam

It is my pleasure  and privilege to describe this divya dEsam. “Beautiful” is a very mild word to describe the sannidhi of Sri Adi kEsava perumAL here.  Although located in the state of Tamil nAdu, this is one of the malai nAdu Divya dEsams and follows the keraLA protocol of worship and rituals.  The idol of Sri PerumAL lying resplendently on Adi sEshan is 22 feet in length – the biggest among all Divya dEsams where Sri PerumAL is in a reclining  posture. There are three entrances to the sannidhis to facilitate the devotees’ vision of the entire thirumEni of the Lord.

Location and Access:

ThiruvattAru is located near the town of KanyAkumari in Tamil nAdu, on the rail route between kanyAkumAri and  Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram).  ThiruvattAru is about also about 30 km from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu.  This place can also be reached by taking a bus from Thiruvananthapuram to Nagercoil and alighting at Thoduvetti and then travelling another 9 km by taking another bus.

The Temple:

The mUlavar here is SrI Adi kEsava perumAL and the thAyAr is SrI maragathavaLLi.The theertham is vattAru river (Aru = river in Tamil).  The thirumEni of the Lord is so huge that He has to be  viewed through three doors in the sannidhi. The thirumEni of the Lord is said to be made up entirely of 16008 salagramam stones. Due to this, there is no abhishEkam (ritual bathing) for the Lord at this Divya dEsam. The mUlavar here has a very serene expression on His divine face, which gets accentuated in the light of the ghee lamps. The right hand of the Lord is held is a yOga mudra, while the left hangs down freely.

There is a huge stone platform (18 feet by 18 feet by 3 feet) in front of the sanctum sanctorum. There are no electric lights inside the sanctum, and it is an out-of-the-world experience to behold the Lord in the light of ghee and oil lamps. There is a Siva LingA  at the feet of the Lord. Sri dEvi and bhU dEvi thAyArs are seated in the centre in front of PerumAL. A sage by the name of kAtalEya maharishi is seen near the head of Sri PerumAL. Brahma is not seen.

The sanctum is constructed in such a manner that, on selected days, the rays of the sun fall directly on the thirumEni of the Lord.

The temple has huge corridors adorned with beautiful sculptures. There is a separate sannidhi for Sri KrishnA. A remarkable feature of the perumAL here is that, He is reclining with His head on the right side (when you stand facing the sannidhi). Except for the Divya dEsams of thiruvattAru and thiruvekkA, in all Divya dEsams where perumAL is in reclining position, it is the other way round. The temple can be fully covered in an hour or two, although you could spend days and weeks enjoying the beauty of this temple.

There are a lot of structural similarities between this Divya dEsam and the nearby divya dEsam of Thiruvananthapuram.

Legends and History:

kEsi was a demon who was slayed by Sri PerumAL. Since Sri perumAL annihilated the demon kEsi, He is known as Adi kEsavan. kEsi’s wife prayed to the rivers GangA and thAmirabaraNi and created a deluge and launched it at the Lord. PerumAL ordered Bhoo dEvi thAyAr to elevate the ground beneath Him. As a result, the deluge had no effect on Him. Since the rivers formed a circle around the elevated area, this place is known as thiruvattAru (vattam = circle, aaru = river in Tamil) Finding her efforts futile, kEsi’s wife realized her own helplessness and surrendered unto the Lord at this Divya dEsam.

It is believed that Chandran (the moon God) and parasurAma, the warrior sage, worshipped Sri perumAL at this divya dEsam.

AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:

nammAzhwAr 3722-32

[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 is listed as # 3129-3139]. 

A sample pAsuram:

மெய்ந்நின்று கமழ் துளவ விரை ஏறு திருமுடியன்

கைந்நின்ற சக்கரத்தன் கருதும் இடம் பொருது புனல்

மைந்நின்ற வரை போலும் திரு உருவ வட்டாற்றாற்கு

எந் நன்றி செய்தேனோ என் நெஞ்சில் திகழ்வதுவே ?

In this pAsuram, Sri nammAzhwAr wonders what good he did to make the Lord of ThiruvattAru reside in his heart. The Lord of ThiruvattAru has a thirumEni like a mountain. He wields a discus and wears a crown of fragrant thulasi leaves.

SrI maragathavaLLi thAyAr samEtha SrI Adi kEsava perumAL thiruvadigaLae saraNam

ThiruvanparisAram divya dEsam

[Click on photos to enlarge]

Also called as Thirupathi sAram, this divya dEsam is one of the 13 malai nAdu divya dEsams. Eleven of the thirteen malai nAdu divya dEsams are located in the South Indian state of kEraLA. ThiruvanparisAram is one of the remaining two that are located in the state of Tamil nAdu.

Location and Access:

ThiruvanparisAram is located 4 km from the town of nAgarkOil. It is located off the highway connecting nAgarkOil and the larger town of tirunelvEli. nAgarkOil is located close to the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. A visit to TiruvanparisAram may be done as part of a package tour to the malai nAdu divya dEsams or combined with a visit to the AzhwAr nava thirupathis of TirunelvEli. Another divya dEsam – ThiruvattAru is located nearby. ThiruvanparisAram itself is not a big town and has very limited facilities for boarding and lodging.

[Click here for more photos of this divyadEsam]

The Temple:

The temple is not very big and all sannidhis can be covered in a leisurely manner in about 45 minutes. The main sanctum sanctorum has perumAL in a sitting position facing east. The perumAL goes by the name of ThiruvAzh mArban (He whose chest is the abode of Lakshmi) also called as thirukkuraLappan. The thAyAr here is Sri kamalavaLLi. There is no separate sannidhi for thAyAr. The temple tank here brims with water and is called the sOmalakshmi theertham. Behind the temple we see a small separate sannidhi for SrI nammAzhwAr. Also, there is a sannidhi for Sri rAmA, sItA, lakshmNA and vibhIshaNA at this Divya dEsam.

Legends and History:

-          This Divya Desam is the birthplace of Sri udayanangai, mother of Sri nammAzhwAr. This pious lady worshipped the Lord at this Divya Desam for 41 days and was blessed with a son (nammAzhwAr).

-          According to legend, HanumAn requested sage agastyA to retell the story of rAmAyanA at this place.

-          During the incarnation of the Lord as narasimhA, Lakshmi was frightened by His fierce appearance and left Him to perform penance at this Divya Desam. The Lord was pacified by PrahalAdA and resumed His usual, gentle form and visited this Divya Desam, where Lakshmi resumed Her rightful place on the Lord’s chest. Hence the Lord got the name ThiruvAzh mArban (He whose chest is the abode of Lakshmi).

-          According to another legend, the saptha rishis wished to have a vision of the Lord and meditated on Him. Their efforts fructified at this Divya Desam.

-          The construction of the temple gOpuram and corridors was done by King KulasEkara (not sure if this is the same as Sri kulasEkara AzhwAr)

AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:

nammAzhwAr 3475

[Note: The numbering convention for the pAsurams seems to differ in various Divya Prabandham books. In some Divya Prabandham books, the same pAsuram by nammAzhwAr is listed as # 2882]

AzhwAr pAsuram:

வருவார் செல்வார் வண்பரிசாரத்து இருந்த என்

திருவாழ்மார்பற்கு என்திறம் சொல்லார் செய்வது என் ?

உருஆர் சக்கரம் சங்கு சுமந்து இங்கு உம்மோடு

ஒருபாடு உழல்வான் ஓர் அடியானும் உளம் என்றே !

In this pAsuram nammAzhwAr laments: Many devotees visit this divya dEsam. But none conveys my plight to the Lord of ThiruvanparisAram who has Lakshmi on His chest.  Nobody tells Him that there is a devotee waiting out there (refers to AzhwAr) for His Grace.

SrI thiruvAzhmArban thiruvadigaLAe saraNam

The Divya dEsams of kEraLA

[Click on picture to enlarge]

The divya dEsams in the south Indian state of kEraLA constitute a very distinct group called the malai nAdu divya dEsams. “malai nAdu” literally means “mountainous country”, which is a fitting name for kErAla which is nestled in the Western ghAt ranges. The malai nAdu divya dEsams are 13 in number. To be precise, two of these are just outside the political border of kEraLA. However, they are also grouped under the set of malai nAdu divya dEsams.

The divya dEsams of malai nAdu stand out for their beauty and purity. kEraLA is known as “God’s own country” and not without reason. The state is bountifully endowed with water resources and filled with lush vegetation. It is still possible to see verdant greenery is most parts of kEraLA. Many of the malai nAdu divya dEsams are on the banks of rivers (that actually have plenty of water and are fairly unpolluted!)

This webpage has a lot of details on the architecture of kEraLA temples: http://www.thrikodithanam.org/intro.htm

This blog has a lot of useful information on Kerala Divya dEsams:   http://www.akaarakani.blogspot.com/

The divya dEsams of kEraLA are unique in the following ways:

- Except for Thiruvananthapuram, ThiruvaNparisAram, ThiruvattAr and ThirunAvAi, in all the malai nAdu divya dEsams, the sanctum sanctorum is located within a small circular building with a conical roof (see picture above). The temple campus is usually has plenty of open space, with the sanctum located in the middle. Thiruvananthapuram and ThiruvattAr are huge, beautiful temples with outstanding stone sculptures. These two resemble Tamil nAdu temples in many respects.

- The malai nAdu divya dEsams follow their own worship protocol, which is very different from that of Tamil nAdu divya dEsams.

- It is forbidden for male pilgrims to wear any clothing above the waist in the malai nAdu divya dEsams.

- The priests are very strict about the purity of the temple. For example, when they dispense prasAdam, they throw or drop it from a distance rather than handing it out from close quarters.

- Usually there is a huge stone platform in front of the sanctum sanctorum.

- The style of decorating the vigraham of SrI perumAL is very different from Tamil nAdu divya dEsams.

- A very important feature of Malai Naattu divya dEsams is that the thirumEni of SrI perumAL is illuminated only by ghee or oil lamps and never by electrical lamps. Looking at the ThirumEni of SrI perumAL in such lighting can be a little difficult – especially for people with less-than-perfect vision. However, it is a wonderful, ethereal experience. As your eyes  get adjusted to the dim lighting, you slowly discover different facets of the thirumEni of SrI perumAL.  Also, devotees do not get to see perumAL from close quarters – even when the temple is not crowded. So you really have to make an effort to fully perceive SrI perumAL – which makes you concentrate harder.

- Also, photography of the mUlavar is strictly forbidden. This is the reason why it is impossible to find photos of mUlavar idols of the malai nAdu Divya dEsams in books or on the internet. In contrast, photos of the mUlavars in the divya dEsams in other states are freely available.

- The popular temple of guruvAyUr is not counted among the Divya dEsams. I am not sure why, maybe this is because this temple developed after the times of Sri AzhwArs who sanctified the Divya dEsams with their verses.

- Nowadays, there are several tour organizers who arrange tours for the malai nAdu divya dEsams from various starting points - like Chennai, Trichy etc. Normally, the package includes a visit to GuruvAyUr as well.

Sri Vishnu Temples of Cambodia

Siem Reap in the Kingdom of Cambodia is home to several Hindu temples built by Kings of the Khmer dynasty. The largest and most famous of them all is Angkor Wat, built by King Suryavarman II. Angkor Wat was originally a temple dedicated to Vishnu. Even today, in one corner of the temple stands a 3.25 metre tall idol of Sri Vishnu, with eight arms. Angkor Wat is a non-functioning temple, although there are offerings of fruits, money and incense made to the deity.

The style of architecture in the temples of Cambodia bears a lot of similarities to the temples of South India, particularly the concept of the vimAnam above the sanctum sanctorum and carvings on the temple walls.

Another temple in the area dedicated to Sri Vishnu is Prasat Kravan. This temple was built by one Mahidaravarman, who was a minister/official in the Khmer regime. This temple, which is being restored with German assistance, has 5 small separate sannidhis. The central one is dedicated to Sri Vishnu. The one of the right is dedicated to SrI.

There are numerous other temples in the area – some dedicated to Shiva, some to Buddha and some to Avalokiteshwara (not clear if this is the name of a God or a King). Some temples have carvings depicting scenes from various Hindu epics. For example, one of the photos above shows a bas-relief of the vAli-sugrIva battle from the rAmAyana from the temple of BantAey SrEi. Another photo shows Sri Gajalakshmi.

On visiting these temples, I got reminded of our own Sri Tirumangai AzhwAr. Had these temples been built during the lifetime of this indefatigable AzhwAr, he would have most probably visited them! After all, even highly inaccessible (in those days) Divya Desams like sAlagramam and Ahobilam were not out of reach for him.

Thiru SrI vara mangai divya dEsam (nAngunEri)

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”.

Click here for more photos of this Divya dEsam. 

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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:

http://indiancolumbus.blogspot.com/2012/05/nanguneri-thothadrinathar-temple.html

 SrI vara mangai thAyAr samEtha SrI thOthAdrinAthan thiruvadigaLae saraNam