Temple Darshan, Pooja and Sevas Information Infoirmation Website Thirukannangudi Perumal Temple: History, Timings, and Darshan
Tangjore Revenue District has this divya desam as one of its parts. It is not far from Nagapattinam. This spot is about 1 to 2 km away from Keezh Velur railway station on the Tiruvarur-Nagapattinam railway line.
The moolavar is called Loganatha Perumal. By the name of Thirumangai Alwar, this Lord is known as “Shyama Mameni Yen Thalaivan.” In other words, this means that my Lord and Master have a blue skin tone. The moolavar is shown standing up and looking east. Sridevi and Bhoodevi can also be seen with the Moolavar. On one side are the statues of Gowthamar and Uparisaravasu, two rishis. On the other side, you can see the statues of Brahma and Brighu. The Moolavar statue looks really pretty. God is like an ocean of kindness, and the face shows that. People say that in the beginning, the image of Madarar Rishi was also in the holy area. But you can’t see it there today.
The god is called Damodara Narayananan. It is called “Santhoteetham” (quiet reposefull) and “Subhasrayam” (good augury) by the elders. His left hand is on his hips, and his right hand is in the abhaya pose. It looks like the Lord is looking east. Sridevi and Bhoodevi are on opposite sides of the utsavar.
She is called Loganayaki, the Goddess of the Moolavar. Aravindha Nayaki is the name of the Tatya goddess. The vimanam is called Utpalavadaka vimanam.
Thirukannangudi Perumal Temple
The story of this place is told in Garuda Puranam. The location is known as “pancha badra” in the Garuda Puranam. “Pancha Narayana stha-lam” is another name for it. This is because Narayana can be seen here in five different forms. In Abharanadari, the Perumal is seen as Anantha Narayanan, in Peria Alattur as Varadha Narayanan, in Thevoor as Deva Narayanan, in Keevalur as Yadhava Narayanan, and in Thirukkannagudi as Damodara Narayanan.
This spot is a Krishna kshetram. There are five holy places called panchas, or “Krishna kshetrams.” Thirukkannamangai, Thirukovilur, Thirukkannapuram, Thirukapisthlam, and Thirukkannangudi are their names. That name is also used for the place. This tank is called Nithya Pushkarani and Sravana Pushkarani. Mahizha maram is the sthala vruksham, or holy tree, for this divya desam.A tree with a vakula flower, also called a little flower,.
Thirukkannangudi is famous for three things: “Kaaya makizham” (a small flower tree that never dries up), “Ora kinaru” (a well that doesn’t have any springs), and “Thora vazhakku” (a disagreement that can’t be settled). An important part of Thirumangai Alvar’s life story is linked to these three traits. He is the last Alvar. He goes by the names Thirumangai Mannan, Kalian, and other names. He was born in the Thanjavur District at Thirukkuraiyalur, which is close to Sirkazhi. People think that he is the reincarnation of Perumal’s bow, which is called sarngam. He was in charge of a wing in the army of a Chola king when he was young. In time, he was even given charge of a part of the Chola country. Kumudha Valli, a great Vaishnavite follower who lived near the Thirunangoor and Thiruvellakulam divya desams, was the woman he wanted to marry. The woman who wanted to marry him told him that he had to feed a thousand Sri Vaishnavas every day for a whole year! She seemed to think that taking care of the wants of Lord Vishnu worshipers was more important than worshiping Vishnu herself. In response, Thirumangai Mannan met the requirement and married her. He became a very religious Vaishnavite. He turned to highway robbery to get the food he needed to feed all of his followers. He may have thought that stealing from the rich to feed the poor would not be wrong in God’s eyes. Once, Perumal and his holy consort chose Thirumangai Mannan to spread the Bhakthi religion. Their bodies changed into those of a young married couple. The divine couple were called “Sarva Alankara Bhooshitha” when they were dressed up.
For the god and goddess, this means that they were covered in every kind of jewelry. Nothing is known about whether the jewelry made the couple shine or whether the couple made the jewelry shine! They got to a spot called Thirumanam Kollai that is close to Thiruvali and Thirunagari. As usual, Thirumangai Mannan got in their way and took all of their jewelry.
He couldn’t take off the small ring that the goddess wore on her toe (Mettu). It is said that he bit that “mettu” with his teeth and took it off. He got the goddess’s blessings when he touched her feet by chance. He put the jewels in a cloth bag and tried to get away by lifting it.
He was very upset when he realized he couldn’t lift the bundle. Then he looked at the groom, who was really God in disguise, and asked him what magic word he had said that made it impossible for him to lift the small bundle of cloth. It was important for him to know how to use that mantra. He even said he would kill them right then if they didn’t tell him the secret. God hugged Thirumangai Mannan and initiated him into the moola mantram, also known as the Ashtakshara mantram. The goddess is thought to have then dressed him as “Nam Kaliano?” which means “is he our strong man?” Thirumangai Mannan was called Kalian after that day. He changed his ways as soon as he heard the Ashtakshara mantra from God.
After what happened, Thirumangai Mannan went on a long journey to see the different divya desams. In North India, he visited Badarikasramam and many other important places. On the way back, he stopped in Tirupati on his way to Srirangam, Thirukkannangudi, and other temples in the south. Mangalasasana pasurams are the songs he wrote to honor each of these gods. He wanted to make a lot of changes to Srirangam. That cost money for him. He saw a gold figure in Nagapattinam. Four of his officials were going to help him bring that gold idol to Srirangam. Some people tried to stop him from taking the idol with him. He took the image off and left Nagapattinam at night. He got to Thirukkannangudi in the morning. A place called Puliadi Vayal is where he got to. He put the gold statuette in a field and then went into the temple to sleep under the makizha maram, which means “little flower tree.” The owner of that field brought seeds the next morning and was getting ready to till the ground to plant them, which was a bad turn of events. Thirumangai Mannan was afraid that his secret would be found out. He had to stop the farmer from working the land. He liked offense more than defense in defense. It was him who got in the way of the farmer and said that the farmer didn’t have the right to till the field because it was his. The argument got very heated. There was a threat of a fight.As usual, a lot of people came together to watch. Thirumangai Mannan offered to show the necessary papers the next day to prove his right to be there. So, the Panchayat agreed to give both sides a day to talk about their case. The alvar was very tired at this point. He was taking a break under the magizha maram. A woman was getting water from a well, which he saw. He asked the woman for water. She said, “Just as you claimed that the field belongs to you, I am afraid you may claim that this vessel that I am using for drawing water belongs to you.”.
Because of this, she wouldn’t give him water. Mannan was mad and swore that the well would dry up.
The events listed above have led to the Tamil phrases (Kaaya Maram), Oora Kinaru, and Thora Vazhakku that were already stated. Thirumangai Mannan cursed the well to dry up, which is what the word “Oora kinaru” means when it is linked to Thirukkannangudi. When Thirumangai Mannan said he would show the papers to prove his title the next day but instead showed up that very night, bringing the gold image he had hidden in the field, this is what “Thora vazhakku” means. This was a disagreement that was never solved, which is where the name “Thora vazhakku Thirukkannangudi” comes from. The “kaaya maram” word refers to the Magizha maram tree that Thirumangai Mannan sat down under that day. One thing that makes it special is that it never runs out or dies. So, these events in Thiruman-gai Mannan’s life led to the three events listed above, which are what people think of when they hear the word “divya desam.”
Temples near Thirukannanguid
- Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur is 75 Km away.
- Thingalur Chandran Temple is 74 Km away.