Cheranmahadevi Appan Venkatachalapathy Temple - Thirunelveli

Address

Cheranmahadevi Appan Venkatachalapathy Temple – Thirunelveli

Cheranmahadevi, Thirunelveli District,

Tamil Nadu 627417

Mobile: +91 89036 69263 / 04634 265268

Moolavar

Appan Venkatachalapathy

Amman

Alarmel Mangai and Padmavathy Thaayar

Introduction

Location:
The Appan Venkatachalapathy Temple is located in Cheranmahadevi, in the Thirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, approximately 1 km north of the Ramaswamy Temple on the Cheran Maha Devi – Kallur – Thirunelveli route. The temple, recently renovated after being closed for over 50 years, is believed to have been constructed during the Vijayanagara dynasty. It is situated amidst lush paddy fields and banana plantations, offering a serene and tranquil environment. The Thamirabarani River flows nearby, within a kilometer of the temple.

Deity and Worship:
The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkatachalapathy, worshipped here as equivalent to Lord Balaji of Tirupati. The presiding deity is believed to offer peace, prosperity, and relief from ailments to the devotees. Alarmel Mangai and Padmavathy Thaayar are the consorts of Lord Venkatachalapathy, and the Utsavar is Srinivasan.

Puranic Significance

The Legend of Milagu Rasam:
A popular legend associated with the temple tells of a Cheran king whose daughter suffered from severe stomach pain. When doctors failed to cure her, the king consulted an astrologer, who advised giving the daughter Milagu Rasam (a pepper-based soup). To the king’s surprise, the daughter recovered, and thus, Milagu Rasam became a special offering at the temple.

Historical Donations and Agreements:

During the reign of Sundara Pandya Deva, a donation was made by Virasinga Deva for the temple’s flower garden, Cheran Narayanan Nandavanam, in return for prasadam from the temple.
An agreement recorded during the reign of Vira Pandya II indicates that the Pandarikal Sri Vaishnavas provided 40 Kalam of paddy to the temple for certain services, as part of their financial obligations.
Kulasekharan Sandhi: Under the rule of Maravarman Pandya, a tax exemption was granted on lands in Idaigal to facilitate the conducting of the Kulasekharan Sandhi service in the temple.

Recognition of Artisans:
In an interesting historical note, Kulasekhara Deva granted an annuity of paddy and a portion of the deity’s offered food to Smith Cherai Mangai Silpasari, a craftsman who contributed to the stone work in the temple.

Offerings on New Moon Days:
A record on the side wall of the temple mentions a donation to provide six offerings to the Lord on New Moon days, which was part of the temple’s ritualistic offerings.

Beliefs and Spiritual Significance

It is believed that worshiping at the Appan Venkatachalapathy Temple brings peace and prosperity while curing ailments. Devotees who seek the Lord’s blessings are said to be relieved of their sufferings.

Special Features

Presiding Deity: Appan Venkatachalapathy, depicted in a standing posture, facing east.
Consorts: Alarmel Mangai and Padmavathy Thaayar.
Utsavar (Processional Deity): Srinivasan.
The temple is over 1500 years old and is revered as a center for spiritual and cultural offerings.
The temple walls feature around 60 inscriptions, with the earliest dating back to the reign of Jatavaraman Pandya (Kulasekhara I). This includes a decree from Ravivarma, suggesting that the land of Karungulapparru be made tax-free for the temple’s daily offerings and for the recital of Vedic texts.