Thiru Sempon Sei Kovil Temple

Thiru Sempon Sei Kovil is located in Tanjore district, Tamil Nadu. It is 5 miles from Seergazhi. There are bus facilities available although accommodation is not really great. It is one of the 108 Divyadesams located in India which are dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. The temple is also known as Hemarangam, Nagapuri temple or Sempon Arangar.

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 says that in the Ramayana, when 108 Names of Lord Rama killed Ravana, he was cursed with the sin of killing a brahmin as Ravan was a Brahmin. So, the Lord went to a Maharishi’s ashram where was instructed to donate a golden cow to a brahmin. The Lord followed his advice and made a cow from pure gold. Four days later, he donated it to a Brahmin and was absolved of his sin of having killed Ravan. The Brahmin sold the gold cow and from the money he constructed the Thirusempon sei kovil temple. Semponn means pure gold and as the money was given indirectly by 108 Names of Lord Rama, the temple was named Thirusemponn sei Kovil.

During the new moon day of the Tamil month Thai, the festival deity of Thirumangai Azhwar is brought to the temple from Thiruvali-Thirunagari. The Thirumangai Azhwar Mangalasasana Utsavam 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 Thirunangur Tirupathis are brought on mount designed like Garuda, called Garuda Vahana, to Thirunangur.

The festive image of Thirumangai Azhwar is also brought on a Hamsa Vahanam (palaquin) and his paasurams (verses) dedicated to each of these eleven temples are recited during the occasion. The festival images of Thirumangai Alvar and his consort Kumudavalli Naachiyar 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

The 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.

Moolavar:

The Moolavar of this sthalam is Sri Perarulaalan. Other name are Hema Rangar, Damodharan and Sem Pon Arangar. The Moolavar is in the Nindra (Standing) Thirukkolam facing his thirumugham towards east direction. Prathyaksham for Rudhiran.

Thayaar:

The Thaayar of this sthalam is Allimaamalar Naachiyar.

Utsavar:

The Utsavar found in this sthalam is Sri Hema Rangar.

Mangalasasanam:

Pushkarani:
Nithya Pushkarani.

Vimanam:
Kanaka Valli Vimaanam.