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{{Short description|Hindu temple in Kanyakumari}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Thiruvazhmarban Temple
| image = IUPAISAAM (12).jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in Tamil Nadu
| coordinates = {{coord|8|12|31|N|77|26|50|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| native_name = Thirupathisaram
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Kanyakumari]]
| location = [[Thiruppathisaram]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Thiruvazhmarban ([[Vishnu]])
Kamalavalli ([[Lakshmi]])
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}
The '''Thiruvazhmarban Temple''', also known '''as Sri Kuralappa Perumal Temple''' in [[Thiruppathisaram]], a village in [[Kanyakumari district]] in the South Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]], is dedicated to the Hindu god [[Vishnu]]. Thiruvazhmarban Temple is located about 5 km far, north-easterly to Nagercoil, 20 km far, north-westerly to Kanyakumari and 45 km south-west of [[Vanamamalai Perumal temple|Nanguneri Divya Desam]]. Constructed in the [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian style of architecture]], the temple is glorified in the ''[[Divya Prabandha|Nalayira Divya Prabandham]]'', the early medieval [[Tamil literature|Tamil]] canon of the [[Alvars|Alvar]] saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 ''[[Divyadesam|Divya Desams]]'' of malayala nadu divyadesham dedicated to [[Vishnu]], who is worshipped as Thiruvazhmarban and his consort [[Lakshmi]] as Kamalavalli in kerala tantric traditions .<ref>{{cite book|title=108 Vaishnavite Divya Desams: Divya desams in Pandya Nadu|last= M. S. |first=Ramesh|publisher= Tirumalai-Tirupati Devasthanam|year=1993}}</ref> The oldest inscription in the temple is from 1139 CE indicating gifts to the temple. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple tank is located opposite to the temple, outside the main entrance.

Thiruvazhmarban is believed to have appeared to the [[Saptarishi]]s, the seven sages, and to Udayanangai, the mother of [[Nammazhwar|Nammalvar]]. The place is the birthplace of Nammalvar, one of the twelve [[Azhwar|Alvar]] saints in Vaishnava philosophy. The temple follows [[Thenkalai]] tradition of worship. Six daily rituals and many yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the ten-day Chittirai Brahmotsavam during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of ''Chittirai'' (April - May), Aadi Swati festival for Kulasekara Alvar, [[Navrathri|Navaratri]] during September - October and [[Vaikunta Ekadasi]] during ''Margali'' (December - January) being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by Kanyakumari Devasthanam.

==Legend==
[[File:Kulasekhara Alwar.png|200x200px|thumb|left|Image of [[Kulashekhara Alwar]]]]
As per Hindu legend, [[Saptarishi]]s, the seven sages of [[Hindu Mythology]] are believed to have worshipped Vishnu at this place. Vishnu was pleased by their devotion and appeared at this place.

As per another legend, king Kulasekara, who would go on to become [[Kulashekhara Alwar]] came to this place after a conquest. His horse was lost and he was in search of the horse. He found that the horse was grazing peacefully on the banks of Soma Tirtham, the temple tank. After bathing in the tank, he felt rejuvanted worshipping the Vishnu temple in the banks. He is believed to have constructed the temple and named the place Thiruvanparisaram (''pari'' in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] indicates horse). ''Thiru'' indicates respect, ''vazh'' means live and ''marban'' indicates the heart of the person.<ref name=Rao/><ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web|title=Sri Thiru Vazhmarban temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=81|publisher=Dinamalar|access-date=31 May 2015|year=2014}}</ref>

==History==
The exact history of the temple could not be ascertained from the inscriptions. The oldest inscription is dated from 1139 CE, when a person by name Natesan Chetti from Rajendra Cholapattinam offering donations to the temple. Two other inscriptions from the temple are dated 1613 and 1785 indicating record of offerings to the temple. A local historic account states that famous [[Madurai Nayak|Nayak]] king [[Thirumalai Nayak]] (1623-59 CE) visited the place and constructed the stepped temple tank. The inscriptions in the temple refer the place is Thiruvanparisaram.<ref name=Rao/>

==Architecture==
[[File:IUPAISAAM (6).jpg|200px|left|thumb|The vimanam of the temple]]
Thiruvazhmarban temple covers an area of about {{convert|2|acre|hectare|abbr=on}} and has a five-tiered ''[[gopuram]]'' (gateway tower). The temple in enclosed in a rectangular enclosure surrounded by granite walls. The central shrine houses the image of the presiding deity, Thiruvazhmarban in sitting posture. There is no separate shrine for his consort Lakshmi as she is believed to reside in his chest. Surrounding the presiding deity, the images of Saptharishis are present. The images of [[Rama]], [[Lakshmana]] and [[Sita]] are located to the right of the presiding deity. The image of Thiruvazhmarban is made of a compound of lime and granite. The sanctum also houses the images of [[Vishvaksena|Vishvaksenara]], [[Kulashekhara Alwar|Kulasekara Alvar]], [[Nataraja]] and Sivakami.<ref name=Rao>{{cite book|title=Temples of Tamil Nadu|last=Rao|first=A.V.Shankaranarayana|publisher=Vasan Publications|isbn=978-81-8468-112-3|year=2012|pages=66–69|ref=Rao}}</ref> The festival deity is made of [[panchaloha]] and all the ablution related worship practises are done only for festival deity. The shrines of [[Garuda]], [[Anjaneya]], [[Ramanuja]], [[Vedanta Desika]] and [[Azhwars|Alvars]] are found in the second precinct.<ref name="dinamalar"/> The temple tank, Soma Tirtham is located outside the main shrine. A hall named Kalyana Vimana Mandapa located near the tank houses paintings depicting [[Dashavatara]], the ten [[avatar]]s of Vishnu.<ref name=Rao/>

== Legend ==
[[File:IUPAISAAM (11).jpg|200px|thumb|Soma Tirtham, the temple tank]]
As per Hindu legend, [[Nammazhwar|Nammalvar]], the most prominent [[Azhwar|Alvar]] saint from the 9th century was born in Thirupathisaram.<ref name=Rao/><ref name="dinamalar"/> There are other accounts, which place his birthplace as Thirukurukur (modern day [[Alwarthirunagiri]]) in the southernmost region of the Tamil country.<ref name="Sadaranganip28">{{cite book |title=Bhakti Poetry in Medieval India: Its Inception, Cultural Encounter and Impact |first=Neeti M. |last=Sadarangani |publisher=Sarup & Sons |year=2004 |isbn=9788176254366 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WVQrKJbJ2JIC |page=28}}</ref><ref name="Carmanp64">{{cite book |title=Majesty and Meekness: A Comparative Study of Contrast and Harmony in the Concept of God |first=John B. |last=Carman |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |year=1994 |isbn=9780802806932 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DyVfKEmEK2QC |pages=64–65}}</ref> Some sources consider his to have been a princely family, although of low caste birth.<ref name="Sadaranganip28" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ramaswamy |first=Vijaya |title=Historical dictionary of the Tamils |year=2007|publisher=Scarecrow Press, INC|location=United States|isbn=978-0-470-82958-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4q0DHGMcjEC&q=nammazhwar&pg=PA211|page=211}}</ref> According to legend he was born fully enlightened and as a baby he never cried or suckled and never opened his eyes. The child did not respond to no external stimuli and his parents carried him in a golden cradle from Tirupathisaaram and left him at the feet of the deity of [[Sri Adhinathar]] in [[Alwarthirunagari Temple|Alwarthirunagari]]. The child got up and climbed into a hole in a [[tamarind]] tree, sat in a [[lotus position]], and began to meditate. He was in this state for sixteen years when a [[Tamil people|Tamil]] poet and scholar, on his trip to North India, named [[Madhurakavi Alvar]] saw a bright light shining to the south, and followed it until he reached the tree where the boy was residing. Madhurakavi asked a divine question on existence to the boy for which he responded that if the soul identifies with the body, it will be the body but if it serves the divine, it will stay in [[vaikunta|Vaikuntha]] and think of God.<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Purāṇas| last=Swami |first=Parmeshwaranand|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QxPCBCk3wVIC&q=Encyclopaedic+Dictionary+of+Puranas+%2B+nammalwar&pg=PA908|page=908|publisher=Sarup & Sons|year=2001|isbn=9788176252263}}</ref> The boy was named Nammalvar and he went on to recite verses, which were recorded by Madhurakavi and later went on to be compiled as ''[[Nalayira Divya Prabhandam]]'' along with the works of other Alvars.<ref name=Rao/>

== Festival ==
During the ten-day Chittirai Brahmotsavam during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of ''Chittirai'' (April-May), the festival deities of the temple are taken around the streets of the temple in a chariot drawn by hundreds of devotees.<ref>{{cite news|title=Car festival at two temples|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/car-festival-at-two-temples/article1703358.ece|date=17 April 2011|access-date=16 November 2015|publisher=The Hindu|location=Nagercoil}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Thiruvazhimarban Temple}}
{{Famous Vishnu temples|state=collapsed}}

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

Thiruvazhmarban temple - Revision history

Olympiados: Added first place initial version.