THESOUNDARARAJAPERUMAL TEMPLE, NAGAPATTINAM –TAMILNADU-COMPILED Dear friends,
Today my posting is about the Soundararajaperumal temple dedicated to godVishnu in the costal District, Nagapattinam of Tamilnadu. The temple is located in Nagapattinam. Constructed inDravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham,the early medieval Tamilcanon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. This temple is countedas one among the 108 DivyaDesams dedicated to Vishnu. Vishnu is worshiped as SoundararajaPerumal and his consort Lakshmi as Soundaravalli. Hope a divine reading. Gopalakrishnan 20-5-2025 Introduction The Temple was built by the late Cholas in the 8th century onthe banks of a smalldistributory River known then as River Virudha Kaveri. SriSoundararaja Perumal Temple is located in a congested residential locality inNagapattinam Town. Legend Soundararaja Perumal is believed to have appeared for SageMarkandeya, Dhruva, Saleesan, goddess Bhudevi and more in this place. Somedetailed information is given below:- The present day Nagapattinam is believed to have been aforest, historically named Sundararinyam. During Treta Yuga a prince, Dhruva, heard aboutthe importance of the forest and began a penance, wishing to see Vishnu.Pleased by this penance, Vishnu appeared to him. Following his example, Markendaya Maharishi did penance and attainedthe vision of Vishnu during SatyaYuga . Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, during Treta Yuga and King Saleesa Chola during Kali Yugahad vision of Lord Here. The Hindu god of creation, Brahma, started worshiping Vishnu at this place.Vishnu is believed to have appeared on the auspicious day of Masi Maham on the banksof Sarapushkarani. On account of the glow emanating from Masi Maham, Vishnu at this place was called"Aḻagiyan". Since he had a glittering skin, he was called"Soundara Rajan", meaning the most beautiful and his consort wascalled Soundaravalli. Since the king of Nagas(snakes), Adisesha worshipped Vishnu at this place, the place was called NagarPattinam, the place of Nagas. It is believed that two eunuchs, Kandan and Sukandan,attained physical fitness after having a holy dip in Sara Pushkarani, thetemple tank. According to the Brahmanda puranam, a local princess had athird breast due to a curse, which would disappear upon her sighting her futurehusband. This happened as soon as she saw Saleesugan, the Chola king, who hadcome here to worship Vishnu. She then married Saleesugan here. (This story issimilar to that of the Madurai Meenakshi-Sundareswarar wedding.) Vishnu isbelieved to have given them darsanam in all three kolams. Saleesugan is said tohave built the first man-made temple here. History The temple is believed to have been built by the MedievalCholas of the late 8th century CE, with later contributions at different timesfrom Thanjavur Nayaks. The temple has two inscriptions dating from the Cholaperiod. The temple had contributions from Pallavas, Nagars, andCholas during the 8th to 10th centuries. During the later centuries, ThanjavurNayaks and subsequently the Thanjavur Marathas are believed to have madesignificant contributions to the temple. During the rule of theNayaks, Nagapattinam was a busy port and it was more of a Dutch territory. On the request of theDutch for a light house, the Nayak king is believed to have built the seventiered temple tower and utilized it as the light house. Jagul Nayakar, thelieutenant of a Nayak king during the 1650s, was a staunch worshiper of Soundararaja Perumal.He is believed to have built the temple tower, halls and the compound wallaround the temple. Theimage of him and his wife Lakshmi Ammal are installed in one of the halls builtby them. Kundo Pandithar, an officer of the Nayak kingdom during 1737,is believed to have constructed the Ashtana mandapam, and the Pachai Varnar,Pavala Vannar, Veetriruntha Perumal, Kidantha Kola Perumal and Vishvaksenarshrines. During the early 20th century, Dratcha BalagurumuthiChettiyar built the Bhakthiula hall, Chinnaya Chettiyar rebuilt the Vasanthahall, Nachiyappa Pillai rebuilt the Mataipalli, Ramasami Pillai renovated the image of the presidingshrine and the citizens of the town contributed to various other renovations.There are inscriptions from various ruling empires on the contributions made tothe maintenance of the temple. Architecture The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram (gateway tower)within a granite wall. The complex contains all the shrines and water bodiesassociated with it. The Temple has a East facing seven tiered Rajagopuram. Atthe outset the Temple has a four pillared Mandapam jus before the Rajagopuramand they have constructed a tinned roofing all around this place to save theDevotees from the vageries of Nature. On top of the four pillared Mandapamis a Sangu and a Chakkaram and a Thengalai Thirumann Sri Churnam along with the Idols of Garudalwarand Anjaneyar. There is a small name board displaying the name of the Temple.Beyond the Rajagopuram is a lovely Pushkarani with Ducks, Geese etc. On the other side there is a TempleGhoshala. The multi pillared Mandapam around this area is nicelydecorated and even the ceiling has been painted very well with various colours.There is a Dwajasthambam, aBali Peedam and a Garudalwar Sub Shrine facing the Moolasthanam.Close to this is the Sub Shrine for Sri Varadaraja Perumal and another SubShrine for Alwars andArcharyans. About the temple The temple is located in Nagapattinam, a town in the SouthIndian state of Tamil Nadu. The main entrance of the temple faces the East and,at the entrance of the temple, there is a four pillared open hall. The temple has a 90 ft (27 m) tallrajagopuram (temple tower) and is enclosed by rectangular walls around it. There is a smaller temple tower on the western side. Thewalls of the temple are surrounded by large streets, through which the templechariot passes during festivals. The Southern street accommodates the stationof the temple chariot and Sarapushkarani, the temple tank. A rare image of Narasimha with eight hands,one blessing Prahlada,another showing the abhaya mudra and the others involved in the killing of the asura,Hiranyakashipu, is present in the temple. There is afour-pillared hall in front of the shrine of Soundarvalli shrine that hasbeautiful architectural treatment. The hall has the images of the architects who designed it. TheNayaka hall is built like a chariot with wheels outside it. The hall which hasentrance to the temple has two eight foot sculptures of the guardian deitiesSumba and Nigumba. Deities It is one of the rare temples where Lord Vishnu is present in all threekolams (nindra kolam as Soundara Raja Perumal or Neelamegha Perumal, amarndhakolam as Govinda Raja Perumal, and sayana kolam as Ranganatha Perumal)in the same temple premises. Garudar (Periya Tiruvadi),unusually, is seen seated. Ashtabhuja Narasimhar isseen simultaneously in two forms – Dushta Nigrama (destroying the evil) and Sishta Paripalanam(taking care of the young). He is depicted as blessing Prahaladan with one handin Abhaya hastam, and destroying Hiranyakashipu with the other arms. Unusually,Ashtabhuja Durga is also enshrined in the temple. There is a Sub Shrine forVaikundanathar and just before entering this place a Thirumann, Sri Churnam, aSangu Chakkaram and two Garudalwar Image are kept. The Vaikundanathar Shrine is North facing. In theMoolasthanam SriSoundararaja Perumal is seen majestically East facing and flanked by HisConsorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi, The Urchavamoorthy is also known bythe name Soundararaja Perumal and there is a miniatrue Santhana Gopala Krishnan Idoltoo. There is a Bali Peedam and a Dwajasthambam facing the ThaayarSannadhi. At the threshold of Her doorsteps is a pair of colourful DwaraBaalkis and the doorway leading to Her Sannadhi too is gold plated and simplydazzling. The name of the Thaayar is Sri Soundaravalli and She is East facingin Her multi pillared Shrine. The walls of the Thaayar Sannadhi have beautiful framed Images ofAshtalakshmi and this Sannadhi simply captivates any Devotees coming here. In the outer peripheral there is an exclusive Sub Shrine forSri Srinivasa Perumal. TheAandal Sannadhi is also unique since there is a Dwajasthambam facing Her SubShrine. The Temple has a beautifully designed three tiered Southfacing Gopuram with a Sorga Vaasal or Paramampadha Vaasal whichis thrown open to the Devotees on Vaikunda Ekadesi days. Likewise there is an exclusive Sannadhi for Sri Ramar and theDivine Feet of Sri Ramarhas been displayed for the sake of the Devotees. Close to it is the Sannadhi for Veera Anjaneyar.There are Sub Shrines for Senai Mudhalvar. Poojas The temple observes six daily rituals . The temple followsthe traditions of the Thenkalaisect of Vaishnavite tradition and follows vaikanasa aagama. Thetemple priests perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a dailybasis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to theVaishnava community, from the Brahmin class. The temple rituals are performedsix times a day: Ushathkalam at 7 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamamat 10:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam(food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Soundararajan andSoundaravalli. Festivals The temple has threeyearly festivals in the calender. The chariot festival, celebrated during theTamil month of Chittirai (March–April), is the most prominent festival of thetemple. During the Tamil month of Chittirai, the Hindu calendar isread in the temple premises and the festival deity is taken in processionaround the Mada street of the temple. Similar processions are followed during the Maga star of Chittiraiand Magam; the five-day festival of Nammalvar during the Tamil month of Aani. The ten day yearlyfestival of Soundaravalli Thayar is celebrated during the same month, when a flag is hoistedand the festive image of Thayar is taken in different chariots around thestreets of the temple. During the star ofUthiram, Perumal arrives at the shrine of Thayar and the celestial wedding iscelebrated. During the Tamil month of Aadi, to commemorate the summersolstice, a ten-day festival is celebrated in the temple, when the festivalimage of Perumal is taken around the streets of the temple. The other festivalsassociated with Vishnu temples like Krishna Jayanthi, Saturdays of Tamil month Puratasi, Navaratri, VaikunthaEkadashi and Vijayadashami are celebrated during the respective days. A ten-day festival is celebrated, during the Tamil month ofPurattasi, commemorating Manavala Mamunigal. Uthirayanapunyakalamduring the Tamil month ofThai followed by Mattaiadi, Masi Kadalauttu during Masi, Panguni Peruviḻa duringPanguni and Thiruvasagai Viḻa are other prominent festivals in the temple. Music instruments like Suthamathalam, Ekkalam, Thiruchinnamand Thalam are used during such festivals. During Thiruvasi festival, thetemple chariot is drawn around the streets of the temple. Religious importance The temple finds mentionin Brahmanda Purana in the Utharkanda Gyana Yoga section. The temple is revered in NalayiraDivya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Thirumangai alvar. It is considered oneof the important temples visited by Thirumangai Alvar. The Alvar has sung praise, imagining himself asa lady and Soundaraja as his lover. The temple is classified as a Divya Desam,one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. Many acharyashave also written songs on the various forms of Soundaraja in this Temple. Muthukrishna Dasar, a poet of theearly 20th century, has glorified Soundararaja Perumal and Soundaravalliin his works in Pancharatna Pathigam. Soundararaja Perumal ThasavatharaPathigam is a work on the presiding deity by Subbarayapillai. One of the threeSangeetha Mumurthi, namely Muthuswami Dikshitar, has sung praise of the deityin his verses. Temple tree andPushkarani The Mango Tree isconsidered as a Sthala Viruksham here whereas the Pushkarani is known as SaaraPushkarani. Benefits ofworshipping Soundararaja Perumal People who look for relief from theirailments, especially skin diseases, come to this temple and worship the Lordhere. It is a belief that his blessings can ensure cure fromdiseases, good health, and welfare. Many devotees cured of their illnessesthanks to the divine grace, come back to pay their tribute. Timing of the temple 7.30 AM to 12 NOON &5.30PM to 9 PM Administration The temple is maintained and administered by the HinduReligious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu. Location of the temple Nagapattinam (1 km) Tiruvarur(30 km), Mayiladuthurai (54 km) Kumbakonam(67 km) and Sri Soundararaja Perumal Kidantha Thirukolam. How to reach thetemple By Air Nagapattinam is about 150 kilometers from Trichyinternational airport, from where people can travel by road to reach thetemple. By Rail Nagapattinam Railway station is a few kilometers from thetemple and is well connected. By Road Nagapattinam town has sound road connectivity with manycities and towns of the state and the country. -- 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]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1715680096.1526007.1747709270423%40mail.yahoo.com.
