Nachiyarkoil
Temple Information
- Moolavar
- Tirunaraiyur Nambi
- Thayaar
- Vanchulavalli Thāyār
- Vimanam
- Shrīnivāsa Vimānam
- Theertham
- Manimuktha Pushkariṇī
- Specialty: Kal Garuḍan ( Stone Garuḍan)
- How to reach
- This kshethram is located in Tirunaraiyur, which is en route to Tiruvārūr via Kumbakoṇam
Shrine Location
Sthala Puranam
Legend has it that Devī Lakshmī was born as Vanchulavalli at the foot of a Vanchula tree to Medhavi Muni. Lord Vishṇu is believed to have manifested himself in the Pancha Vyūha forms and married Vanchulavalli Thāyār. In the sanctum, one finds the idols of the deities – Sankarshaṇan in the east, Pradyumnan in the south, Aniruddhan in the west, Purushottaman in the north, and Vāsudevan in the center. It is said that the Lord had performed Pancha-Samskāram for Tirumangai Āzhwār at this kshethram.
The story is as follows: Tirumangai Āzhwār wanted to marry a woman named Kumudhavalli. She placed two conditions, namely, 1) to get Pancha-Samskāram done, and 2) to perform tadhiyararadhanam (annadhanam) for a thousand people for one year. Tirumangai Āzhwār satisfied the second condition, but when it came to fulfilling the first condition, no acharya was ready to perform Pancha-Samskāram, as Tirumangai Āzhwār was a very fierce personality. Thus Tirumangai Āzhwār approached the Lord here, and the Lord himself performed the Pancha-Samskāram.
Hence, we can see the Lord holding his arms out with the Pānchajanyam in His right hand and the Sudarshanam in His left hand.
Special Note
This temple is regarded as a Mani Mada Mantapam, which means the temple is divided into partitions known as mantapams, wherein one must climb up a flight of stairs to move from one mantapam to the next to reach the garbha griha, which is placed internally. As one moves closer to the main garbha griha, we can see a shrine outside the garbha griha dedicated to Kal Garuḍan. There is a peculiarity with Garuḍan here.
At any other kshethram, one can find a Garuḍa Vahanam made of wood or panchaloha, but at this kshethram, we see a Garuḍa made of saligrama shila. Another peculiarity is when Garuḍar comes out for uthsavam. As Kal Garuḍan comes out of the shrine, we see that four people hold up Garuḍar. As the first mantapam is crossed, eight people are required to carry Garuḍar. Similarly, by the time Garuḍar reaches the temple gates, sixty-four people carry Garuḍar.
As Garuḍar makes his journey back to the shrine again, only four are needed to place Garuḍar back in the shrine.
Anyone afflicted by sarpa-dosham is said to be relieved of those impediments by the Garuḍan here at this kshetram.
Azhwar Pasuram
Tirumangai Āzhwār – 110 Pāsurams