Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal Temple

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal Temple is located in Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu.The temple is one of the 108 Divyadesams dedicated to the Hindu Lord Vishnu. The temple is built in the Dravidian style of architecture.  There are 4 daily rituals conducted in the temple. There are bus facilities to reach the temple but no accomodation available.

According to legend, Lord Shiva started dancing in fury at Thirunangur after the death of his consort Uma, due to the sacrifice of Daksha. Each time a lock of his hair fell and touched the ground, eleven other forms of Lord Shiva would appear. The Gods were worried that if this continued, entire earth and all their creations would be destroyed. They prayed to lord Vishnu to help. Lord Vishnu listened to them and appeared before Lord Shiva. On seing Vishnu, Lord Shiva’s anger was appeased. But to counteract the eleven forms of him that had been created, he asked lord Vishnu to also appear in eleven forms. The eleven forms in which Lord Vishnu appeared in Thirunangur were all in different places. Those eleven places in thirunangur are where the eleven  temples are located.

POOJA RITUALS:

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal Temple timings are from 8 AM to 10 AM and from 5 PM to 7 PM. Temple rituals are performed by the priests on a daily basis as well as during festive season.  The priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, a brahmin sub caste. There are 4 temple rituals daily:

Ushathkalam at 8 in the morning

Kalasanthi at 10 in the morning

Sayarakshai at 5 in the evening

Ardhajamam at 7 in the evening.

Each of the rituals have 3 procedures which are the alangaram ( decoration), the neivethanam (food offering) and deeparadanai (lighting lamps) for Lord Vishnu and his consort. During the rituals, religious hymns and texts are recited from the Vedas by the priests. There are weekly, fortnightly and monthly rituals performed in the temple.

FESTIVALS:

During the new moon day of the Tamil month Thai, the festival deity of ThirumangaiAzhwar is brought to the temple. The ThirumangaiAzhwarMangalasasanaUtsavam is celebrated in the Tamil month of Thai (January–February). The highlight of the festival is Garudasevai, an event in which the festival images of the eleven ThirunangurTirupathis are brought on mount designed like Garuda, called Garuda Vahana, to Thirunangur. The festive image of ThirumangaiAzhwar is also brought on a HamsaVahanam (palaquin) and his paasurams (verses) dedicated to each of these eleven temples are recited during the occasion. The festival images of ThirumangaiAlvar and his consort KumudavalliNaachiyar are taken in a palanquin to each of the eleven temples. The verses dedicated to each of the eleven temples are chanted in the respective shrines. This is one of the most important festivals in the region which draws thousands of visitors

FACTS ABOUT THIRUNAGARI:

Moolavar:

The Moolavar found in this sthalam is Sri Devarajan. Also known as VayalaaliManavalan. Irundha (Sitting) Thirukkolam facing his thirumugham towards west direction.

Thayaar:

The Thaayar of this sthalam is AmurdhaValli.

Utsavar:

The Utsavar found in this sthalam is KalyanaRanganathan.

Mangalasasanam:
Both the places are considered as one kshetram and so has gained 42 Paasurams by Kulasekaraalwar and Thirumangaialwar. Also ManavalaMaamunigal has visited this place many times.

Pushkarani:
IlaakshaniPushkarani.

Vimanam:
AshtaksharaVimaanam.

LEGEND ABOUT THIRUVALLI-THIRUNAGARI:

Thiruvalli and Thirunagari are both within 3 miles from each other are related to the history of ThirumangaiAlwar.

ThirumangaiAlwar was born in Thirunagari. As a reward for his valour, the Chola king made him the head of a small state. Sumangalai was the head of the Devakanni who had the job of fanning the Lord. Once, when Saint Kabila was preaching, Sumangalai distracted him by commenting on one of his ugly students. Angered, the saint cursed Sumangali to be reborn on earth. Sumangali was reborn as a lily called Kumudhavalli.

Thirumangai wanted to marry her but she ordered him to first become a member of the Vaishnavaite community.

Thirumangai headed to Thirunayur where he asked to Lord to convert him to a Vaishnavaite.Kumudhavalli then placed a condition that if he wanted to marry her, he would have to feed 1008 brahmins daily. Unable to bear the costs of feeding so many Brahmins daily, Thirumangai went bankrupt and was put into jail as he could not pay the king’s revenue. The Lord then came to him in a dream and asked him to go to the Vegavathi river bank where he could find the money.

Thirumangai did that the next day and was able to survive on that money for some time until even that fell less. With no other choice, he started to rob rich people. Once, the Lord Narayana and Periya Patti were passing alone that very forest. They were disguised as a newly-wed couple.  Thirumangai was pleased as a newly-wed coupl would be decked up and so he could earn a lot by robbing them. He stopped them and asked for their belongings. He filled all the belongings in a large bag but then he was unable to lift it. He accused the groom of  chanting a curse against him. The Lord then appeared before him in his true form. ThirumangaiAlwar then became a true devotee of Lord Narayana.

FACTS:

Moolavar:

The Moolavar found in this sthalam is Sri Lakshmi Narashimar. Also known as VayalaaliManavalan. Irundha (Sitting) Thirukkolam facing his thirumugham towards west direction. Prathyaksham for Thirumangaialwar and AllathiNikanchamaPrajapathi.

Thayaar:

The Thaayar of this sthalam is AmrudhakadaValli.

Utsavar:

The Utsavar found in this sthalam is ThiruvaaliNagaraalan.

Mangalasasanam:

Both the places are considered as one kshetram and so has gained 42 Paasurams by Kulasekaraalwar and Thirumangaialwar. Also ManavalaMaamunigal has visited this place many times.

Pushkarani:
IlaakshaniPushkarani

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