| Description This is the
second of the nine Nava Tiruppatis (Divya Desam shrines) in Tirunelveli district in the
belt between Tirunelveli and the
coastal shrine of Tiruchendur. Varagunamangai, known as Naththam is located 2.5 km east of
Sree Vaikuntham. Only Nammalwar, who resided at Alwar Tirunagari, has sung of these nine shrines Tiruvaikuntham, Varagunamangai,
Pulinkudi, Tolaivillimangalam,
Tirukkulandai, Tirukkolur,
Tirupperai and Tirukkurugoor
collectively referred to as Alwar Navatiruppati. Tolaivillimangalam
referred to as Irattai Tirupati, counts as two in the scheme of Nava Tirupatis, but as one
of the 108 Divya Desams.
Deities: The Moolavar here is Vijayaasanapperumaal in a seated
posture, with the hood of Aadi Seshan spread over his head, as an umbrella in a manner
similar to that at Sree Vaikuntham. Taayaar here
is Varagunavalli. This is an east facing temple with a single prakaram.
Nammalwar refers to Vishnu's reclining posture at Tiruppulinkudi, his seated posture at Varagunamangai and his standing posture at Vaikuntham in a lone verse in his Tiruvaaimozhi. |
