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{{Infobox temple
| name = Thiruvaragunamangai Perumal Temple
| image = Varagunamangai2.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|8|38|13.4|N|77|55|26.9|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Thoothukudi district|Thoothukudi]]
| location = Natham
| elevation_m = 449
| deity = {{ubl|Vijayasana Perumal<br>([[Vishnu]])|Varagunavalli<br>([[Lakshmi]])}}
| facade_direction =
| temple_tank = [[Agni]]
| tower = Vijaykotti
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals =
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity =
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}{{Short description|Vishnu temple in Thoothukudi}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}

'''Thiruvaragunamangai Perumal Temple''' (also called '''Vijayasana Perumal''') is one of the [[Nava Tirupathi|Nava Tirupati]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Twelve Azhvars - Twelve saints of Sri Vaishnavism|last=Rajagopal|first=Gowri|pages=71–76|publisher=Sri Ramakrishna Math|location=Chennai|isbn=978-81-7883-592-1}}</ref> the nine [[Hindu]] temples dedicated to [[Lord Vishnu|Vishnu]] located in the [[Tiruchendur]]-[[Tirunelveli]] route, [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]] in the banks of [[Thamiraparani]] river. All these 9 temples are classified as [[Divya Desams]], the 108 temples of [[Vishnu]] revered by the 12 poet-saints of the [[Sri Vaishnavism|Sri Vaishnava]] tradition, called the [[Alwars|Alvars]].<ref name=Ramesh>{{cite book|title=108 Vaishnavite Divya Desams volume one Divyadesams in Tondai Nadu|first=M.S.|last=Ramesh|location=Tirpuati|year=1993|publisher=Tirupati Tirumala Devastanams}}</ref> The temple at Natham also known as Chandran Sthalam, the second of the Nava Tirupatis.<ref name=dinamalar>{{cite web|title=Sri Vijayanasa Perumal temple |url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=785|year=2015|publisher=[[Dinamalar]]|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> Constructed in the [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian style of architecture]], the temple is dedicated to [[Vishnu]] who is worshipped as Vijayasana Perumal and Lakshmi as Varagunavalli.

A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The ''[[gopuram|rajagopuram]]'', the temple's gateway tower has five tiers. The temple follows [[Thenkalai|Tenkalai]] tradition of worship. Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the ten-day annual [[Vaikuntha Ekadashi]] during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil]] month of ''Margali'' (December - January) and the Nammalvar birth celebrations with Garudasevai with all nine temple of Nava Tirupati, being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].

==Etymology==
The etymology of this temple is said to come from the deity Varagunamangai, who is believed to have granted his [[Darshan (Indian religions)|theophany]] to a Brahmin who was a Vedic scholar. This is referred to in one of the poems of [[Nammalwar|Nammalvar]]. It is generally assumed that Varagunamangai traces his name to the monarch Varaguna Pandya, though this is uncertain.<ref>''Early history of Vaishnavism in south India''.Sakkottai Krishnaswami Aiyangar. Page 53.</ref>

== Legend ==
Vishnu is said here appeared in this temple to answer the prayer of the sage Romesar, who performed severe penances for several thousand years.<ref name="temple">Adinathar Alwar thirukkoil Sthala varalaru; Temple publication; Page 3</ref><ref name="A">{{cite book|title=Temples of South India|first=Ambujam |last=Anantharaman|pages=33–43|publisher=East West Books (Madras)|year=2006|isbn=978-81-88661-42-8}}</ref>

As per another legend, a sage named Vedavit was living along the banks of the Tamarabarani river and was serving his elderly parents. After the death of his parents, he wanted to perform a penance. Vishnu appeared in the form of a [[Brahmin]] and advised him to perform penance at Varagunamangai. After several years of penance, pleased by the devotion of Vedavit, Vishnu appeared before him. Vedavit requested Vishnu to appear as Vijaysanan at this place.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Dasavatharam and Navagrahas in Historical Perspective|url=https://zenodo.org/record/4271461#|page=36|journal=Tamil Journal of Temple Studies|volume=1|year=2020|last1=A.|first1=Radha|last2=Dr. G.|first2=Paranthaman}}</ref>

==Architecture==
The temple is located in [[Tiruchendur]]-[[Tirunelveli]] route, [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]] in the banks of [[Thamiraparani]] river, in the South Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. The temple is constructed in [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian style of architecture]]. All the shrines of the temple are enclosed in a rectangular granite structure, which is pierced by a five-tiered [[gopuram]] (gateway tower). There is a sixteen pillared granite hall in front of the gopuram. The sanctum houses the image of Vijayasana Perumal in sitting posture, flanked by both his consorts on either side. The festival images of Vijayasanar and Varagunavalli are located inside the sanctum.<ref name=M/> The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=HRCE>{{cite web|title=Thirukoil - Temple list of Tamil Nadu|url=https://tnhrce.gov.in/resources/docs/temple_list.pdf|publisher=Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department, Government of Tamil Nadu|format=PDF|pages=244}}</ref>

==Festival==
The ''[[Garuda]] Sevai utsavam'' (festival) in the month of Vaikasi (May-Jun) witnesses 9 ''[[Garuda]]sevai'', a spectacular event in which festival image idols from the Nava Tirupatis shrines in the area are brought on ''[[Garuda]] [[vahana]]'' (sacred vehicle). An idol of [[Nammalvar]] is also brought here on an ''Anna Vahanam'' (palanquin) and his ''pasurams'' (verses) dedicated to each of these 9 temples are recited. The ''[[utsavar]]'' (festival deity) of [[Nammalvar]] is taken in a palanquin to each of the 9 temples, through the paddy fields in the area. The ''pasurams'' (poems) dedicated to each of the 9 [[Divyadesam|Divya Desam]]s are chanted in the respective shrines. This is the most important of the festivals in this area, and it draws thousands of visitors.<ref name=A/><ref>{{cite book|title=Jothirlingam: The Indian Temple Guide|publisher=Partridge Publishing|year=2015|isbn=9781482847864|page=30|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CE55CgAAQBAJ&q=navathirupathi&pg=PT100|last=Suriya}}</ref>

The temple follows the traditions of the [[Thenkalai|Tenkalai]] sect of Vaishnava tradition and follows ''Pancharathra aagama''. 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 six times a day: ''Kalasanthi'' at 8:00 a.m., ''Uchikalam'' at 12:00 p.m., ''Sayarakshai'' at 6:00 p.m., and ''Ardha Jamam'' at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''neivethanam'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for both Vijayasana Perumal and Varagunavalli. During the last step of worship, ''[[nagaswaram|nadasvaram]]'' (pipe instrument) and ''[[tavil]]'' (percussion instrument) are played, 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/>

==Religious significance==
{{stack|[[File:Varagunamangai3.jpg|x220px|thumb|Image of the gopuram from inside the temple|left]]}}
''[[Brahmanda Purana]]'' one of the eighteen sacred texts of Hinduism and written by [[Veda Vyasa]] contains a chapter called Navathirupathi Mahatmeeyam. ''Vaikunta Mahatmeeyam'' is another work in [[Sanskrit]] that glorifies the temple and is a part of ''Tamraparani Sthalapurana'' available only in palm manuscripts.<ref name=Meena>{{cite book|title=Temples in South India|last=V.|first=Meena|publisher=Harikumar Arts|location=Kanniyakumari|pages=8–9}}</ref> The temple is revered in the ''[[Nalayira Divya Prabandham]]'', the 7th–9th-century-CE [[Sri Vaishnavism|Sri Vaishnava]] canon, contributed to by [[Nammazhwar|Nammalvar]]. The temple is classified as a ''[[Divyadesam|Divya Desam]]'', one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. The temple is also classified as a [[Navatirupathi|Nava Tirupati]], the nine temples revered by Nammalvar located in the banks of [[Tamiraparani River|Tamiraparani]] river. The temple is next only to [[Alwarthirunagari Temple]] in terms of importance among the nine [[Navatirupathi|Nava Tirupati]] temple.<ref name="dinamalar"/><ref name=M/> Nammalvar makes a reference about the temple in his work named ''[[Tiruvaymoli]]''. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the temple finds mention in several works like ''108 Tirupati Antati'' by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar. The temple also forms a series of Navagraha temples where each of the nine planetary deities of one of the temples of Nava Tirupati. The temple is associated with [[Chandra]] (the moon god).<ref name=M>{{cite book|title=15 Vaishnava Temples of Tamil Nadu|last=M.|first=Rajagopalan|pages=155–159|publisher=Govindaswamy Printers|location=Chennai, India|year=1993}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Amazing posture at Srivaikuntam|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/11/15/stories/2002111501310400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030129161601/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/11/15/stories/2002111501310400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 January 2003|date=15 November 2001|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=25 October 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|20em}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Thiruvaragunamangai Perumal Temple}}

{{Nava Tirupathi}}
{{Famous Vishnu temples}}

[[Category:Divya Desams| ]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Thoothukudi district]]

Thiruvaragunamangai Perumal Temple - Revision history

KrisMchugh15039: created a place