VAISHNAVANAMBI AND VALLI NACHIAR TEMPLE THIRUKKURUNGUDI, TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT- TAMIL NADU -COMPILED
Introduction Vaishnava Nambi and Valli Nachiar Temple in Thirukkurungudi,a village in Tirunelveli district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, isdedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It is located 45 km from Tirunelveli and 20 KM from Valliyur in the Papanasamroute. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, thetemple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamilcanon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 DivyaDesams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Vaishnava Nambi andhis consort Lakshmi as Thirukurungudivalli. The temple is locally referred as Dakshina Vaikuntam, the holyabode of Vishnu. Thetown Tirukkurangudi, streets around the temple and the temple appears very neatand tidy and well maintained. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all itsshrines and two of its three bodies of water. The Raja gopuram, the temple'sgateway tower, is 110 ft (34 m) tall. The temple follows Tenkalai tradition of worship. Six daily ritualsand three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the ten-day annualBrahmotsavam during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April - May) and Brahmotsavamduring the month of Chittirai, being the most prominent. This is one of therarest Perumal temple having sanctum for Lord Siva, Lord Ganesha and LordMuruga Known as the ‘Dakshina Badri’, the Azhagiya Nambi temple atThirukurungudi is located about 40kms from Tirunelveli (and about 15kms fromNanguneri) off the Nagercoil highway at the foot of the Mahendra hill on theWestern Ghat. While Lord Narayana, at Badri, lectured Ramanuja, atThirukurungkudi, he took the role of a disciple and obtained VaishnavaInitiation from Ramanuja. Hence the Lord here is called Vaishnava Nambi. Legends As per accounts in the Varaha Purana, a treatise of Varaha,an avatar of Vishnu, Varaha preferred to stay at this place with his consortVarahi in a small form and hence came to be known as Thirkurungudi (literallymeaning a small house). As per a Hindu legend, Nambaduvan, a peasant and singer(locally called panan) from lower section of the society, was an ardent devoteeof Vishnu. On account ofhis low life, he never entered the temple and worshipped from outside. While walking towardsthe temple one day, he was stopped by a asura. He sang the verses which he setfor the presiding deity to him. He also assured the asura that he will come back from thetemple when the asura can consume him. Nambi, the presiding deity was pleased by his devotion andappeared outside the temple. While returning, Nambi appeared as aBrahmin and tried to convince him to escape the asura. But Nambudavan wasstaunch and wanted to be true to his promise. The asura was pleased by the songs andsaid it did not want to consume him anymore. It is believed that theasura was a Brahmin who was cursed during his previous birth as he was notsincere doing his penance. He was relieved off his curse listening to the songsof Nambaduvan. It is also said that Nammalwar, who was born in AzhwarThirunagari, was a reincarnation of this deity. Important of Puraniclegend The History and important script of this temple isillustrated in Kaisika Puranam which is found in Varaha Puranam. In Varaga Puranam Lord Sriman Narayana disguised himself as a whitepig Roopam and took Sri Mahalakshmi who was taken by Hurayasham a brother ofthe Asura Hiranya Kasibu. Long before in 11thcentury (900 years before) the Great Vaishnava Acharya Sri RAMANUJA touredDivya Desha in South India. He worshiped in Thirukkurungudi Sri Azhagia Nambi. When he came to Thirukkurungudi the Supreme Lord Azhagianambi askedRamanuja that how he spread over Sri Vaishnavism in the land. Ramanuja replied to thelord Azhagiya Nambi about three mantras .Nambi asked the Mantras like a disciplemanner Azhaginambi had got three Mantra from Ramanuja who gave a Name Ramanuja Nambi & Vaishnava Nambi. Once upon a time a king of Pandia Desam came to thisThirukkurungudi. The Lord told him “There is a Lord Theivanayagam andSrivaramangai Nachiyar submerged under the tank. The king took away theVikragams and installed at a temple in Nanguneri. History The temple has inscriptions from the 10th century during the MedievalChola period indicating grants to the temple in the form of sheep.Another inscription from the 14th century is attributed to Sundara Pandya IIindicating gifts of 25 cows for the perpetual lighting of ghee lamps in thetemple. There are also inscriptions from the same regime indicating gift of landsto the temple. The Nayakperiod during the 15th century saw lot of additions to the temple complex interms of pillared halls. The inscriptions onthe southern wall of the hall dated 1059 indicates excavation of a channel with dams. There aresimilar inscriptions on the northern wall indicating repairs made to the samedam. There are threecopper plate inscriptions in the temple dated 1456, 1537 and 1592indicating grants from Sabala Veera Chandra Ramavarma Maharaja, Vittala Raya ofVijayanagara Empire and Vira Vasantha Venkatadeva Maharaja respectivelyindicating several grants to the temple. Architecture The temple has a flat entrance tower and a five-tieredgopuram (gateway tower). The temple has five prakarams, closed precincts of atemple and all the shrines are enclosed in the first two enclosures. The temple occupies around 18.5acres. There are a number of halls, that have sculpted pillars fromthe Nayak period. There is a festival hall in the second precinct in the templefacing South that has sculpted pillars indicating various Hindu legends. Themost notable of them being a legend of Mahabharata where Bhima attacks a lionlegged person with his club. The composite columns of Virabhadra holding swordand horn are found be additions of the Vijayanayagara kings during the early1500s. These prakarams are having pillars with idols as if attached to them. The granite floorsappear as if laid with marble, and all corridors are exactly perpendicular. In Tamil language the word Nambi means personification of all virtuous and righteousqualities blended with beauty and grace. There are five Nambisin this Kshetram. Theyare Ninra Nambi (Standing posture), Irundha Nambi (Sitting posture), KidandhaNambi (Sleeping posture), Thiruparkadal Nambi and Thirumalai Nambi.Thiruparkadal Nambi Temple is located near to the River Nambiyaru, one km fromthe main temple. Thirumalai Nambi Temple is on the hills (MahendragiriMountain) 8 km from the main temple. Digital Preservation In August 2023, the temple was the subject of a digitalpreservation project. A Matterport Pro2 3D scanner was used to create adetailed digital record of the temple's art and architecture. Religious significance The temple is revered in Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Periyalvar, Nammalvar, Thirumangai Alvarand Thirumalisai Alvar. The temple is classified as a Divya Desam, one of the108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the templefinds mention in several works like 108 Tirupathi Anthathi by Divya Kavi PillaiPerumal Aiyangar. It is believed that Thirumangai Alvar spent his last days in this place andattained Moksha. The place is thus referred as Dakshina Vaikuntam, theultimate destination of Vaishnavites. A tradition of worshipping Vishnu through dance, music andart is called Kaisika Natakais believed to have originated at Thirukkurungudi. A festival called KaisikaEkadasi held at the temple every year. The local belief is that the devoteespractising Kaisika Vratha or witnessing the performance would attain Moksha. Arayar Sevai, another form of worshipping Vishnuis also believed to have originated in this place. As per legend, the practisewas established by Nathamuni, who was practising with his fellow mates and Vishnu was hiding in the South Madastreet and enjoying the performance. Vishnu is also called as GanaPriyan, the one who enjoys music. It is believed that Ramanuja, theproponent of Vaishavadvaita philosophy taught Vishnu about Astakshara and hencethe presiding deity came to be known as Vaishnava Nambi. Festivals The Chittirai utsavam(festival) in the month of Chittirai(April - May), Vaikasi Jestabishekam during June, Aavani Pavithrotsavam duringAavani (August - September), Float festival during Thai (January - February)and Brahmostavam during March–April are the major festivals in the temple. Onamis celebrated in this Divya Desam Poojas The temple follows the traditions of the Thenkalai sect ofVaishnavite tradition and follows Vaikanasa aagama. The temple priests performthe pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnutemples of Tamil Nadu, thepriests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: Kalasanthiat 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., and ArdhaJamam at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration),neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for bothVaishnava Nambi and Thirukurungaivalli. Pooja timings The Sri Nindra Nambi Perumal Temple (also known as NambiKovil) in Thirukkurungudi is generally open from 6:30 AM to 12 PM and from 5 PM to 9 PM.However, these timings can vary, particularly during festivals and otherspecial occasions. Vishvaroopa Dharshan7.00 AM Kaalasandhi 9.00 AM Utchikaalam 11 AM-11.30 AM Thirukappu Sattrudhal12 PM Sayam Sevai 4.30 PM –6.00 PM Sayaratchai 6.00 PM – 6.30 PMAtthalam Suthu Kovil 7.00 PM – 7.15PM Thiruvisagam 8.00 PM Brief details Name of the Supreme Deity A/m.Standing Pasture Nambi “Vaishnavia Nambi Vaduka Nambi Name of Goddess A/M.Kurungudi Valli Holy Water ThirupparkadalTheertham Vimanam Panchakethagavimanam Lord Siva Sannidhi when the Lord Vishnu took place in Swalya in manytemples, here Siva got a Sanithi in this temple named Mahendragiri Nathar. Thirumangai Alwar praised in his Thirumozhi about the Lord Sivatemple here. The Lord Azhagia Nambi provided seat to Lord Siva. The Divya Desan praised by Thirumangai Alwar both Siva of Vaishnavism temptedin the Kshetra. In the Shiva temple Natarajar, Sivagami, Somaskandar,Subramaniar, Vinayagar poojas performs daily. There is special temple toKalabairavar. Google search result Yes, the Nindra NambiPerumal temple at Tirukkarangudi has a shrine for Lord Shiva. This is considered a rare feature among Vaishnava temples.Here are some details about the Shiva shrine in this temple: Pakkam Ninnaar Shiva: Lord Shiva is referred to as "Pakkam Ninnaar"in this temple, which translates to "one who stands by the side". Significance: According to temple tradition, Lord Perumal and LordShiva are inseparable here. The same abhisheka theertham (consecratedwater) and prasad are offered to both deities. Mention by an Azhwar: The inclusion of a Shiva shrine was noted by theVaishnavite saint Thirumangai Azhwar, who praised both deities in the sameverse. He described the Lord of Tirukkarangudi as being in a standing posturewith the skull-bearing and tiger-skin-wearing Shiva by his side. How to reach thetemple By road-This place is 40km from Tirunelveli near Nanguneri. Thereare buses from Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Vallioor to this place. Address of the temple Arulmigu Thiru Vaishnava Nambi Temple, North Mada St, Thirukkurungudi, Tamil Nadu 627115 Phone: 04635 265 291 Priest Contact : Raju Bhattar@ 94863 21552 Resting facilities There is a Ramanuja koodam for devotees as rest shed. Ramanuja incident atPadmanbha swamy temple in Trivandrum Ramanuja who stayed at Thirukurungudi made trips to otherDivya Desams such as Thiruvattaru, and also to Anantha Padmanabhaswamy templein Thiruvananthapuram. The priests in the temple did not agree to the principles of Ramanuja,where the Lord asked Garuda to carry him fast that same night back toThirukurungkudi. And to Ramanuja’s surprise, he was on top of theThirukurungudi rock at the blink of an eye. Though a divyadesam, The Padmanabhaswamy Temple follows a traditional Kerala-stylesystem of poojas, which includes daily rituals like the opening at 3:00 AM, followed byTrikkappu Turappu (opening of the shrine), Abhishekam (ritual bathing),Ethirettu Pooja, and Madhyahnya Pooja (mid-day pooja). The poojasculminate in the Athazha Pooja at night, before the shrine closes Araiyar Sevai The famed Araiyar Sevai originated at Thirukkurungkudi andwas first introduced by Nathamuni. Araiyars, the descendents of Nathamuni, havesince carried the Araiyar Sevai. Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam is believed tohave given the Araiyars the right to perform the unique musical chanting at thetemples and presented them with the cone-like red cap, two cymbals and thesacred garland. Legend has it that Lord Nambi used to listen to Araiyar’sAbhinayam (song and dance enactment of the Paasurams) hiding behind a wall inBashyam Street (South Mada Street). Hence the Lord here is also referred to as ‘Gaana Priyan’. Inrecognition of this significant event, one can, to this day, find the name ofthis street in Tirunelveli’s Gazette. Dakshina Vaikuntam As per the Vaishnavite Sampradayam, Thirukurungudi is said tobe the ‘Southern House’ of Lord Vishnu. Hence, it is believed that ‘Vaikuntam’(the ultimate destination for Vaishnavites) is in ‘calling distance’ fromThirukurungudi. Kaisika Ekadesi If Srirangan is known for Vaikunta Ekadesi, Thiru Kurungkudiis said to be the home to the Vaishnava tradition of ‘Kaisika Ekadesi’ andKaisika Natakam (drama)- worship of the Lord through dance, music and drama isa special event at the Thiru Kurungudi Nambi temple on the Kaisika Ekadesi day. Kaisika Ekadesi is celebrated in the Tamil month of Karthigaiand precedes Vaikunta Ekadesi. It is believed that those who undertake fast andsing and/or listen to the Kaisika Puranam on the Kaisika Ekadesi day willattain Vaikunta Moksham. Parasara Bhattar took thestory of a complex Kaisika Puranam (in Sanskrit) and composed it in a simple,easily understandable language. Hemade it more interesting by analysing the different Avatars of Lord Vishnu andshowcasing Varaaha Avatar as the best and the purest, despite the Lord takingthe form of a pig (Human beings typically give pigs the poorest treatment). Inthe Varaaha Avatar, the Lord took the form of a pig and yet saved the world. ParasaraBhattar dissected the Kaisika Puranam and created the vyakyaanam for the entireKaisika Puranam, which was hitherto non-existent. Kaisika Puranam Kaisika Puranam is the story of Nambaaduvaan, a low casteperson and his love for ThiruKurungudi Nambi. Embarrassed to enter the templeduring the day as he belonged to a lower caste (similar to TirupaanAzhvaar whofelt shy to enter the Srirangam Ranganatha Temple), he would walk several milesin the night to the Thiru Kurungudi Nambi temple and would, for hours together,stand before Lord Nambi with a Veena and sing praise of him. And to ensure thatno one took notice of his presence, he would return to his place before dawn. One night, he was stopped by a Brahmma Raakshasha (a hugedemon) who wanted to consume Nambaaduvan for dinner. Unable to convince him that he would return after visitingLord Nambi one last time, Namaaduvan relates the essence of Sathya Sankalpam tothe Raakshasha: “ The world was created through Sathya Sankalpam- Promises- andcontinues to exist as a result of the promises. It is because of the Lord’sSathya Sankalpam that the world is seeing peace today.” Nambaaduvan makes 18 promises that night to the Raakshashaand states that if he fails even in one of those 18 promises, he will be aparty to 18 sins. The 18th promise of Nambaaduvan is the essence of the KaisikaPuraanam. Nambaaduvan says “If one ever tries equating Lord Narayana toanyone else in this world, I will be a party to the biggest sin in the world.And I will never get Moksham from this cycle of births” This promise reinforces the belief that Lord Naarayana is theone and only supreme force in those days and that he is incomparable. Thispromise convinced the Raakshasha that Nambaaduvan would return and he let himgo. Nambaaduvan spent the entire night at the Thirukurungkudi Nambi temple andthen made his way back to the Raakshasha as promised. On his way back , the Lord disguised as an old Brahmin stopsNambaaduvan and asks the reason for him rushing back, much in contrast to hisusually slow and thoughtful walk. Nambaaduvan explains his situation to theBrahmin, who condemns him as a fool and offers protection from the Raakshasha.Nambaaduvan rejects this offer stating his promise to return as quickly aspossible. A 1000 years later, what Nambaaduvan said that day isrelevant even today, more so especially in this money minded world: “ I will even give up my life but I will never go back on myword. I gave him a promise and I have to fulfil it. Hence, I will have to goback to the Raakshasha and if he has to take me as his prey, so be it.” By now, the Raakshasha hadchanged his mind and no more did he want Nambaaduvan’s body. Instead, he nowasked for the fruits of all the praise that Nambaaduvan had secured through hisvisits to Thirukurungudi Nambi every night. Nambaaduvan shared with the Raakshasha the ‘Kaisika’ Puranam,the songs which he had sung that very night in front of Lord Nambi ofThiruKurungudi and thus helped secure Vaikunta Moksham for the Raakshasha. It isbelieved that anyone who recites/reads or listens to the Kaisika Puranam willattain Moksha in this birth. Kaisika Puranam recital and Araiyar Sevai clearly showedthat, in centuries gone by, music and dance had a special place in religiousworship in Divya Desams. Pooja inPadmanbhaswamy temple Administration The temple is maintained and administered by the HinduReligious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu. Compiled and postedby R. Gopalakrishnan on 15-10-2025 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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