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{{Short description|Pair of Hindu temples in Tamil nadu}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Thiruvali-Thirunagari
| image = {{multiple image
|border=infobox
|image_style=border:1;
|total_width=280
|perrow=1/2
|image1 = Thirunagari1.jpg
|image2 = Thiruvali4.jpg
}}
| alt =
| caption = Thirunagari and Thiruvali temples
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in Tamil Nadu
| coordinates = {{coord|11|13|32|N|79|47|58|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Mayiladuthurai]]
| location = Thirvali, Thirunagari
| elevation_m =
| deity = Lakshmi Narasimhan, Vedarajan ([[Vishnu]])<br>Amirtagatavalli, Amirtavalli ([[Lakshmi]])
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity = 2
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}

The '''Thiruvali - Thirunagari Temples''' are paired [[Hindu]] temples dedicated to [[Lord Vishnu|Vishnu]] located {{convert|10|km}} from [[Sirkali]] in [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]], and {{convert|5|km}} from each other. It is one of the [[Divya Desam]]s, the 108 temples of [[Vishnu]] revered by the 12 poet saints, or [[Alwars|Alvars]].<ref>Sunita Pant Bansal, ''Hindu Pilgrimage: A Journey Through the Holy Places of Hindus All Over India''</ref> Unlike other Divya Desams where a single shrine is referred, this pair of temples is referred to together in all of the 41 ''pasurams'' (hymns). These temples follow the [[Thenkalai|Tenkalai]] mode of worship.

Granite walls surround the temple, enclosing all its shrines, while the water tank is located in a street axial to the eastern gateway. The temple has a seven-tiered raja[[gopuram]], the gateway tower. The temples are originally believed to have been built by the [[Cholas]], with later additions by the [[Vijayanagar Empire|Vijayanagara]] and [[Thanjavur Nayak kingdom|Thanjavur Nayak]] kings who commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of the temples during the 16th century.

Vedarajan and Aḻagiyasingar are believed to have appeared to [[Thirumangai Azhwar|Thirumangai Alvar]] at this place. The temples follow the [[Thenkalai|Tenkalai]] tradition of worship. Four daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the fourteen-day annual Brahmotsavam during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil]] month of ''Vaikasi'' (May - June) being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].

==Legend==
The legends of all the eleven temples of Tirunangur are closely associated with each other. According to legend, the Hindu god [[Shiva]] started dancing in fury at this place after the death of his consort [[Sati (Hindu goddess)|Sati]] during the ''[[Daksha yajna|yajna]]'' (sacrifice) of [[Daksha]]. Each time his lock of hair touched the ground, there were eleven other forms of Shiva who appeared. The celestial deities were worried that if the dance continues, it would result in decimation of entire creations. They prayed to [[Vishnu]] for help, who appeared at this place. On seeing Vishnu, Shiva's anger was reduced and he requested Vishnu to appear in eleven forms like he did. On his request, Vishnu appeared in eleven different forms at Tirunangur. The eleven places where Vishnu appeared are believed to be where the eleven temples in Tirunangur are located.<ref name="R">[[#R.|R. 2001]], pp. 470-1</ref> It is believed that the celestial deities had an assembly here at the temple.<ref name=A>{{cite book|title=Temples of South India|first=Ambujam |last=Anantharaman|pages=62–67|publisher=East West Books (Madras)|year=2006|isbn=978-81-88661-42-8}}</ref> It is also believed that sage [[Vasishtha]] is believed to have worshiped Vishnu at this temple.<ref>{{cite book|title=South Indian Shrines: Illustrated|publisher=Asian Educational Services|page=535|last=Ayyar|first=P. V. Jagadisa|isbn=9788120601512|location=New Delhi|year=1982|ref=Ayyar}}</ref> In another variant, Shiva requested Vishnu to appear in eleven different forms like him to control the eleven Shiva forms he created.<ref name=Malai>{{cite web|title=திருநாங்கூர் நாராயண பெருமாள் கோவில்|language=Tamil|url=https://www.maalaimalar.com/devotional/devotionaltopnews/2019/10/21070922/1267133/thirunangur-narayana-perumal-temple.vpf|date=21 October 2019|accessdate=17 July 2021}}</ref>

==Architecture==
{{Multiple image
| caption_align = center
| header_align = center
| align = left
| total_width = 300
| width1 = 1536
| height1 = 2560
| width2 = 1536
| height2 = 2560
| direction = horizontal
| image1 = Thiruvali1.jpg
| image2 = Thirunagari4.jpg
| footer = Shrines of Thiruvali and Thirunagari
}}

The [[Azhagiyasingar Temple, Thiruvali|Aḻagiyasingar Temple]] at Thiruvali has small west facing shrine. The village is where the consort Sri Kumudavalli naachiyar of [[Thirumangai Alvar]] were raised. Aḻagiyasingar temple covers an area of about {{convert|0.5|acre|hectare|abbr=on}}. The temple in enclosed in a rectangular enclosure with surrounded by granite walls. The central houses the image of the presiding deity, Aḻagiyasingar. The image is made of granite is sported in sitting posture, with Lakshmi seated on his lap on the right side. This posture is unique as usually the image of Lakshmi on Narasimhar temples are sculpted on the left side. The festival deity is named Thiruvali Nagaralan and the image is also housed in the sanctum. A south facing shrine of Thirumangai Alvar is located outside the temple walls, opposite to the Garuda Mandapam. It is believed that the image of [[Narasimha]]r in the temple are among the five original images of Narasimha worshipped by Thirumangai Alvar.<ref>{{cite book|title=South Indian Shrines: Illustrated|publisher=Asian Educational Services|page=534|last=Ayyar|first=P. V. Jagadisa|isbn=9788120601512|location=New Delhi|year=1982|ref=Ayyar}}</ref> The temple mast, the shrine of Garuda and a four pillared hall are located axial to the sanctum, outside the compound wall.<ref name="A" />

Thirunagari is the birthplace of [[Thirumangai Alvar]]. The [[Vedarajan temple, Thirunagari|Vedarajan temple]] has a 7-tier raja[[gopuram]] and an elevated structure. Unlike other temples where the temple tree ([[Sthala Vriksha|kodimaram]]) faces the main deity, the [[Dhwaja Stambha|flagstaff]] here faces the shrine of [[Thirumangai Alvar]]. Vedarajan temple covers an area of about {{convert|2|acre|hectare|abbr=on}} and has a seven-tiered ''[[gopuram]]'' (gateway tower) raising to a height of {{convert|125|ft|m|abbr=on}}. The temple in enclosed in a rectangular enclosure with huge granite walls. The sanctum is approached through a second gateway tower. There are a series of pillared structure around the basement of the first enclosure. The central shrine has an elevated structure and houses the image of the presiding deity, Vedarajan. The image is made of granite is sported in sitting posture. The festival deity is named Kalyana Ranganathar and the image is also housed in the sanctum. The [[vimana (shrine)|vimana]], the shrine over the sanctum is Ashtanga in architecture, which has eight parts. The outer parts of the vimana have stucco images of sages, the [[Dasavatara|Dashavatara]], [[Lakshmi Narasimha]], [[Lakshmi Narayana]] and the other avatars of Vishnu. A north facing shrine of Thirumangai Alvar is located in the same elevated enclosure.<ref>{{cite book|title=South Indian Shrines: Illustrated|publisher=Asian Educational Services|page=534|last=Ayyar|first=P. V. Jagadisa|isbn=9788120601512|location=New Delhi|year=1982|ref=Ayyar}}</ref> There is a separate flag staff for the Alvar shrine. It is believed that the two images of [[Narasimha]]r in the temple are among the five original images of Narasimha worshipped by Thirumangai Alvar. There is a small image of Chindanaikiniyan, which is also believed to have been worshipped by the Alvar. The shrine of Amruthavalli is located in the basement, in the diagonal corner of the first enclosure.<ref name="A" />

==History and literary mention==
The exact history of the temples could not be ascertained. They are believed to have been built by the [[Cholas]], with later additions by the Vijayanagara and Thanjavur Nayak kings. Both the temples are revered together in ''[[Nalayira Divya Prabhandam]]'', the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by [[Kulasekara Alvar]] and [[Thirumangai Azhwar|Thirumangai Alvar]].<ref name=Prabandam>{{cite book|title=Nalayira Divya Prabandam|last=T.|first=Bhashyam Ramanujadasan|publisher=Sri Vaishnava Peravai|year=2009|edition=6th|location=Chennai|language=Tamil}}</ref> The temple is classified as a [[Divyadesam|Divya Desam]], one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. The songs of the Alvars refer both this temple and the [[Vedarajan temple, Thirunagari|Thirunagari temple]] and hence both are counted as one Divya Desam.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hindu Pilgrimage|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lzPCOVQGP3wC&q=thiruvali&pg=PT157|last=Bansal|first=Sunita Pant|page=157|publisher=Pustak Mahal|year=2008|isbn=9788122309973}}</ref> During the 18th and 19th centuries, the temples were mentioned in ''108 Tirupathi Anthathi'' by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar. The temples are maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=A>{{cite book|title=Temples of South India|first=Ambujam |last=Anantharaman|pages=62–67|publisher=East West Books (Madras)|year=2006|isbn=978-81-88661-42-8}}</ref> The Aḻagiyasingar temple was the capital of [[Thirumangai Azhwar|Thirumangai Alvar]], who was the ruler of a kingdom and also the birthplace of Kumudavalli, the wife of Alvar.<ref name=R>[[#R.|R. 2001]], pp. 470-1</ref>

==Worship practices and festivals==
The temples are open from 8 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 7 pm. The temple priests perform the ''[[puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] community, from the Brahmin class. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: ''Kalahanthi'' at 8 a.m., ''Ukshikalam'' at 10:00 a.m., ''Sayarakshai'' at 5:00 p.m. and ''Ardha Jamam'' at 7:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''neivethanam'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for the deities. During the worship, religious instructions in the ''[[Vedas]]'' (sacred text) are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the [[Iconography of Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu#Dvajasthamba and Pali Peedam|temple mast]]. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.<ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web|title=Sri Deivanayagar temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=248|publisher=Dinamalar|access-date=31 May 2014|year=2014}}</ref>

During the new moon day of the Tamil month ''[[Tamil calendar|Tai]]'', the [[utsavar|festival deity]] of Thirumangai Alvar is brought to the Pushotama Perumal temple from Thiruvali-Thirunagari.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news|title=Shrine dedicated to Arjuna|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/shrine-dedicated-to-arjuna/article3631326.ece|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=12 July 2012|access-date=2013-09-09|last=S.|first=Prabhu}}</ref> The Thirumangai Alvar Mangalasasana Utsavam is celebrated in the Tamil month of ''Tai'' (January–February). The highlight of the festival is ''Garudasevai'', an event in which the festival images of the eleven [[Thirunangur tirupathi|Tirunangur Tirupathis]] are brought on mount designed like [[Garuda]], called Garuda Vahana, to Tirunangur. The festive image of Thirumangai Alvar is also brought on a ''Hamsa Vahanam'' (palanquin) and his ''pasurams'' (hymns) dedicated to each of these eleven temples are recited during the occasion. The festival images of Thirumangai Alvar and his consort Kumudavalli Naachiyar are taken in a palanquin to each of the eleven temples. The verses dedicated to each of the eleven temples are chanted in the respective shrines. This is one of the most important festivals in the region which draws thousands of visitors.<ref name="hindu"/><ref name="Garuda Sevai Festival">{{cite news| title=Garuda Sevai| work=Ramanuja.org|
url=http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ramanuja/archives/feb08/pdfUQOxvBFB4v.pdf|access-date= 2011-08-19}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|title=An introduction to religion and Philosophy - Tévarám and Tivviyappirapantam|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.jZY9lup2kZl6TuXGlZQdjZY2lZpy.TVA_BOK_0006115|last=R.|first=Dr. Vijayalakshmy|publisher=International Institute of Tamil Studies| location=Chennai|year=2001|edition=1st|ref=R.}}
{{refend}}

{{Famous Vishnu temples}}

[[Category:Divya Desams| ]]
[[Category:Vishnu temples in Mayiladuthurai district]]

Thiruvali-Thirunagari - Revision history

Cinehub 022: adding the bio added tags.