| Description: This Divya
Desam is located at a distance of 10 km from Sirkazhi
enroute to Tiruvenkadu and
Poompuhaar and is one of the 11 Tirunaangur Divya Desams. This shrine is also known as
Keezhchattanaathapuram and Kannan Koyil. Located here is Tirukkuraiyalur, the birthplace
of Tirumangaialwar. Deities: The Moolavar here is Gopalakrishnan
with his consorts Rukmani and Satyabhama portrayed in a standing posture
facing east bearing a rope and with his left arm on a cow. Taayaar here is Madavaral
Mangai (Senkamala Naachiyaar). There is no separate sanctum for Taayar. The utsavar here
is Rajagopalan. This east facing temple has a single prakaram.
Legends: Legend has it that, to honor the request of Satyabhama,
Krishna went far and wide in search of the parijata flower; after a long search Krishna
meditated upon Shiva, who revealed to him a lake filled with parijata flowers at this
place. The theertham here is referred to as thatamalar poikai. Given Krishna's
presence with Rukmani and Satyabhama, this shrine is considered equivalent to Dwarka.
The Tirunaangur Divya Desams: 11 Divya Desams in the vicinity of
Sirkazhi, Tiruvaali and Tirunagari (the birthplace of Tirumangaialwar) are associated
closely with Tirumangaialwar. Legend has it that Shiva performed the Ekadasa Rudra
Aswamedha Yagam, to rid himself of the blemish of Bhramahatti; Vishnu is believed to have
appeared in his presence with Sree Devi, Bhu Devi and Nila Devi at the end of the
sacrifice, and upon Shiva's request, taken up 11 abodes here in the Tirunangur area, which
correspond to the 11 Tirunaangur Divya Desams held in worship by Rudra.
Only Tirumangaialwar has sung of these 11 Divya Desams. The Tirunaangur Divya
Desam shrines are Kavalampaadi, Tiruvanpurushottamam, Arimeya
Vinnagaram, Chemponseikoyil, Manimaadakkoyil (Narayanan), Vaikuntha
Vinnagaram, Tirudevanaar Togai,
Tiruttetriambalam, Manikkootam,
Tiruvellakkulam, and Parthanpalli.
Festivals: Two worship services are carried out each day; and the
Rohini asterism in the tamil month of Aavani is celebrated here.
The Tirumangaialwar Mangalasasana utsavam in the month of Thai (after
the new moon night) witnesses Garudasevai - a spectacular event in which festival images
of Perumaal from the 11 (Tirunaangur) Divya Desam shrines in the area are brought on
Garuda mounts to Tirunangur. An image of Tirumangai Alwar is brought here on a Hamsa
Vahanam (from Tirunagari) and the his paasurams (verses) dedicated to each of these
11 Divya Desams are recited. The image of Tirumangaialwar circumambulates each of these
deities, and at the conclusion of the festival, the images are returned to their temples.
Prior to this, the image of Tirumangaialwar and his consort are taken in a palanquin to
each of the 11 Tirunangur Divya Desams, (trampling) through the paddy fields in the
area, and the paasurams dedicated to each of the 11 Divya Desams are chanted in the
respective shrines. The Ekadasa Garuda Sevai is the most important festivals in this area,
and it draws thousands of visitors. |
