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{{Short description|Perumal temple in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu, India}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Vedarajan Temple
| image = Thirunagari1.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in Tamil Nadu
| coordinates = {{coord|11|13|34|N|79|48|02|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| native_name = Thirunagari Temple
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Mayiladuthurai district|Mayiladuthurai]]
| location = Thirunagari
| elevation_m =
| deity = Vedarajan ([[Vishnu]])
Amruthavalli ([[Lakshmi]])

| facade_direction =
| temple_tank =
| tower =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}

'''Vedarajan Temple''' in Thirunagari, a village in [[Mayiladuthurai district]] in the South Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]], is dedicated to the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god [[Vishnu]]. Constructed in the [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian style of architecture]], the temple is glorified in the ''[[Divya Prabandha|Naalayira 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]]'' dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Vedarajan and his consort [[Lakshmi]] as Amruthavalli.<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 temple is believed to be the birthplace of [[Thirumangai Azhwar|Thirumangai Alvar]], one of the twelve Alvar saints.

A granite wall surrounds 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 temple is 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 temple during the 16th century.

Vedarajan is believed to have appeared to [[Thirumangai Azhwar|Thirumangai Alvar]] at this place. The temple follows 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==
{{Multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center
|align=left
| total_width = 350
| width2 = 2560 | height2 = 1536
| width1 = 2560 | height1 = 1536
|direction=horizontal
|image2=Thirunagari2.jpg
|caption2=Shrine of Amruthavalli Thayar
|image1=Thirunagari3.jpg
|caption1=Image of the [[vimana (shrine)|vimana]], the shrine over the sanctum
}}
As per Hindu legend, a son of [[Brahma]] named Karthama Prajapathi did penance worshipping Vishnu to attain [[Moksha]]. Vishnu was not pleased and Lakshmi, his consort was not convinced with Vishnu testing Karthama. She hid herself in the lotus tank at this place. Vishnu came in search of her and after finding her, he took her to Vaikunta. It is believed that Vishnu is sported in hugging posture in the nearby Thirungari also on account of the legend. Karthama took many births during various ages like [[Treta Yuga]] and [[Dvapara Yuga]], but Vishnu told him that he would get Moksha only during [[Kali Yuga]]. During Kali Yuga, Karthama was born as prince Sangabalan. During his young age, he wanted to marry Kumudavalli. She was an ardent devotee of Vishnu and stipulated that she would marry him only if he feeds thousand [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavites]], the devotees of Vishnu. Sangabalan started feeding the devotees and he also resorted to burglary to fund it. Vishnu came with Lakshmi incognito in his path and he tried to rob them as well. Vishnu uttered the Ashtatra Mantra in his ears and he turned into [[Thirumangai Azhwar|Thirumangai Alvar]].<ref name="dinamalar"/> Since Vishnu in the form of Ranganatha offered a [[Darshan (Indian religions)|darshana]] to the Alvar and his wife, the presiding deity is called Kalyana Ranganatha. The place is locally called Alvar Koil and also called Vedarajapuram.<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><ref name=R>{{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|pages=448–9}}</ref>

==History and literary mention==
While the exact history of the temple could not be ascertained, it is originally believed to have been built by the [[Cholas]], with later additions by the Vijayanagar and Thanjavur Nayak kings who commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of the temple during the 16th century. Vedarajan temple is revered in the ''[[Nalayira Divya Prabhandam|Naalayira Divya Prabhandam]]'', the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by [[Kulasekara Alvar]] and [[Thirumangai Azhwar|Thirumangai Alvar]]. The temple is classified as a ''[[Divyadesam|Divya Desam]]'', one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hindu Pilgrimage|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lzPCOVQGP3wC&dq=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 temple finds mention in several works like ''108 Tirupathi Anthathi'' by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar. In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=A/>

==Architecture==
[[File:Thirunagari4.jpg|200x250px|right|Shrine of Thirumangai Alvar|thumb]]
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 has stucco images of sages, [[Dasavatara]], Lakshmi Narasimha, Lakshmi Narayana and 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/>

==Religious practices and festival==
[[File:Azhwar along with Kumudhavalli Naachiyar during Mangalasasanam to 11 Emperumans infront of Manimaada Koil.jpg|200x200px|left|thumb|Thirumangai Alvar with his consort Kumudavalli]]
The temple follows the traditions of the [[Thenkalai|Tenkalai]] follows ''Vaikanasam aagama''. The temple is open from 7:30-11:30 am and between 4.30_8.00 pm. The temple priests perform the ''[[puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: ''Kalasanthi'' at 8:00 a.m., ''Uchikalam'' at 12:00 p.m., ''Sayarakshai'' at 5:00 p.m., and ''Aravanai Pooja'' at 8:00 p.m. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.<ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web|title=Sri Vedharajan temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/new.php?id=654|publisher=Dinamalar|access-date=31 May 2014|year=2014}}</ref>

The Thirumangai Alvar Mangalasasana Utsavam is the most prominent festival of the temple. During the new moon day of the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil]] month ''Thai'' (January - February), the [[utsavar|festival deity]] of Thirumangai Alvar is taken to the [[Thirumanimadam]] from Thirunagari.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news|title=Shrine dedicated to Arjuna|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/New.php?id=654|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=12 July 2012|access-date=12 November 2015|last=S.|first=Prabhu}}</ref> The major event of the festival is ''Garudasevai'' in which the festival images of the eleven [[Thirunangur tirupathi|Thirunangur Tirupathis]] are brought on mount designed like [[Garuda]], called Garuda Vahana, to Thirunangur. The festive image of Thirumangai Alvar is brought on a ''Hamsa Vahanam'' (palanquin) and his ''paasurams'' (verses) 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 the 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 attended by thousands of pilgrims.<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|accessdate= 19 September 2008}}</ref> The other festivals celebrated in the temple are the ten-day Vaikasi Swathi festival, Pavitrotsavam during ''Aani'' (June - July) and Panguni Uthiram during ''Panguni'' (March - April).<ref name="dinamalar"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Thirunagari}}
{{Famous Vishnu temples}}
[[Category:Divya Desams]]
[[Category:Vishnu temples in Mayiladuthurai district]]

Vedarajan temple, Thirunagari - Revision history

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