Sri Vaigunta Nathan Perumal Temple

Sri Vaigunta Nathan Perumal Temple is one of the 108 divyadesams dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu. It is located in Thirunaangur, 10 km away from Seergazhi, in Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu. Sri Vaigunta Nathan Perumal Temple has ancient Dravidian architecture. It is also one of the 11 divyadesams closely related to the Thirumangaialwar and is also called as the Thirunangurtirupathi. The presiding deity is believed to have been worshipped by sage uthankar and the king Uparisarvasara.

LEGEND:

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.

Another legend also says that this is the place where the Lord Vishnu appeared before Sage Uthankar and King Uparisarvasa.

Sri Vaigunta Nathan 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 Sri Vaigunta Nathan Perumal Temple from Thiruvali-Thirunagari. 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:

Moolavar:

The Moolavar of this sthalam is Sri Vaikunda Nathan. Other name of the Perumal is ThamaraiKannudayaPiraan. The Moolavar is in the Irundha (Sitting) Thirukkolam facing his thirumugham towards east direction. Prathyaksham for King Uparisaravasu and Udhanga Maharishi.

Thayaar:

The Thaayar of this sthalam is VaikundaValli. PeriyaPiratti and BhoomiPiratti are found along with Moolavar and Utsavar.

Mangalasasanam:

Pushkarani:

Vimanam:
AnanthaSathyaVarthakaVimaanam.

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