Nangur Nalayiram Pillaiyar Temple, Mayiladuthurai

Address

Nangur Nalayiram Pillaiyar Temple, Mayiladuthurai

 Nangur, Sirkazhi Taluk, Mayiladuthurai District

Tamil Nadu 609 106

Phone: +91 435 243 064

Mobile: +91 94434 88925 / 94880 03673

Moolavar

Nalayiram Pillaiyar

Introduction

                     Nalayiram Pillaiyar Temple is dedicated to Lord Vinayaga located in Nangur Village near Sirkazhi Town in Sirkazhi Taluk in Mayiladuthurai District of Tamil Nadu.The temple is situated on the banks of Manikarnigai River.

Puranic Significance 

According to Ramayana, Vali was the king of Kishkinda. He was the husband of Tara, the elder brother of Sugriva and father of Angada. His subjects were the Vanaras. He was blessed with the ability to obtain half the strength of his opponent due to a boon given by Lord Brahma for his intense penance on Brahma. Vali was extremely powerful with his power almost equal to that of 75000000 elephants. Thus, Vali became invincible. It was said that no one could defeat Vali in head-on battle. Vali was invincible during the Treta Yuga. Vali defeated some of the greatest warriors like Ravana. A raging demon known as Mayavi came to the gates of Kishkinda and challenged Vali to a fight. Vali accepted the challenge. When he came forth, the demon got terrified and the demon fled in terror into a deep cave. Vali entered the cave in pursuit of the demon, telling Sugriva to wait outside. When Vali did not return and upon hearing demonic shouts in the cave and seeing blood streaming from its mouth, Sugriva concluded that his brother had been slain. With a heavy heart, Sugriva rolled a boulder to seal the opening of the cave, returned to Kishkinda, and assumed kingship over the Vanaras, taking Tara, the wife of his brother as his queen. However, inside the cave, Vali killed the demon and returned home. Upon seeing Sugriva act as a king, Vali thought his brother had betrayed him. Though Sugriva humbly attempted to explain himself, Vali would not listen. As a result, Sugriva is exiled from the kingdom. To exact his vengeance, Vali forcibly took Ruma, the wife of Sugriva for his own and the brothers became bitter enemies. Sugriva ran off to Rishyamukha Mountain, the only place Vali would be unable to enter because of the curse of the sage Matanga. In exile, Sugriva made the acquaintance of Rama, the avatar of Lord Vishnu, who is on a quest to rescue his wife Sita from the demon Ravana, king of the rakshasas.

Lord Rama promised Sugriva that he would kill Vali and would reinstate Sugriva as the king of the Vanaras. Sugriva, in turn, promised to help Rama with his quest. Together, Sugriva and Rama went to seek out Vali. While Rama stood back, Sugriva shouted a challenge and dared him to battle. The brothers rushed at each other, fighting with trees and stones, with fists, nails, and teeth. They were evenly matched and indistinguishable to the observer, until Hanuman, stepped forward and placed a garland of flowers around the neck of Sugriva. It is then that Rama emerged with his bow and drove an arrow through Vali’s heart. After the death of Vali, Sugriva reclaimed the Vanara kingdom, took back his first wife, Ruma, and also reclaimed Vali’s primary wife, Tara, who became his queen. Her son by Vali, Angada, became the crown prince. However, Lord Rama was afflicted with dosha for killing Vali. To get relief from dosha, Lord Rama reached Nangur and made an image of Vinayaga with the sand of Manikarnigai River and performed pooja. A divine voice instructed him to conduct a Yagna with 4000 vedic priests for relief. Lord Rama invited vedic priests to attend the Yagna but only 3999 priests came for his Yagna. Lord Rama felt bad about the absence of one priest. Seeing the condition of Lord Rama, Vinayaga himself came as a priest and attended the Yagna. Thus, Lord Vinayaga came to be called as Nalayirathil Oruvar (Tamil) / Chathur Sahasra Ganapathy (Sanskrit). Later, the name got corrupted to Nalayiram Pillaiyar.

Special Features

According to Ramayana, Vali was the king of Kishkinda. He was the husband of Tara, the elder brother of Sugriva and father of Angada. His subjects were the Vanaras. He was blessed with the ability to obtain half the strength of his opponent due to a boon given by Lord Brahma for his intense penance on Brahma. Vali was extremely powerful with his power almost equal to that of 75000000 elephants. Thus, Vali became invincible. It was said that no one could defeat Vali in head-on battle. Vali was invincible during the Treta Yuga. Vali defeated some of the greatest warriors like Ravana. A raging demon known as Mayavi came to the gates of Kishkinda and challenged Vali to a fight. Vali accepted the challenge. When he came forth, the demon got terrified and the demon fled in terror into a deep cave. Vali entered the cave in pursuit of the demon, telling Sugriva to wait outside. When Vali did not return and upon hearing demonic shouts in the cave and seeing blood streaming from its mouth, Sugriva concluded that his brother had been slain. With a heavy heart, Sugriva rolled a boulder to seal the opening of the cave, returned to Kishkinda, and assumed kingship over the Vanaras, taking Tara, the wife of his brother as his queen. However, inside the cave, Vali killed the demon and returned home. Upon seeing Sugriva act as a king, Vali thought his brother had betrayed him. Though Sugriva humbly attempted to explain himself, Vali would not listen. As a result, Sugriva is exiled from the kingdom. To exact his vengeance, Vali forcibly took Ruma, the wife of Sugriva for his own and the brothers became bitter enemies. Sugriva ran off to Rishyamukha Mountain, the only place Vali would be unable to enter because of the curse of the sage Matanga. In exile, Sugriva made the acquaintance of Rama, the avatar of Lord Vishnu, who is on a quest to rescue his wife Sita from the demon Ravana, king of the rakshasas.

Lord Rama promised Sugriva that he would kill Vali and would reinstate Sugriva as the king of the Vanaras. Sugriva, in turn, promised to help Rama with his quest. Together, Sugriva and Rama went to seek out Vali. While Rama stood back, Sugriva shouted a challenge and dared him to battle. The brothers rushed at each other, fighting with trees and stones, with fists, nails, and teeth. They were evenly matched and indistinguishable to the observer, until Hanuman, stepped forward and placed a garland of flowers around the neck of Sugriva. It is then that Rama emerged with his bow and drove an arrow through Vali’s heart. After the death of Vali, Sugriva reclaimed the Vanara kingdom, took back his first wife, Ruma, and also reclaimed Vali’s primary wife, Tara, who became his queen. Her son by Vali, Angada, became the crown prince. However, Lord Rama was afflicted with dosha for killing Vali. To get relief from dosha, Lord Rama reached Nangur and made an image of Vinayaga with the sand of Manikarnigai River and performed pooja. A divine voice instructed him to conduct a Yagna with 4000 vedic priests for relief. Lord Rama invited vedic priests to attend the Yagna but only 3999 priests came for his Yagna. Lord Rama felt bad about the absence of one priest. Seeing the condition of Lord Rama, Vinayaga himself came as a priest and attended the Yagna. Thus, Lord Vinayaga came to be called as Nalayirathil Oruvar (Tamil) / Chathur Sahasra Ganapathy (Sanskrit). Later, the name got corrupted to Nalayiram Pillaiyar.

Festivals

Vinayagar Chathurthi is celebrated with much fanfare during the Tamil month of Aavani (Aug-Sep). During the Ekadasa Rishabaruda festival in Rohini star day in the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May-Jun), Lord Nalayiram Pillaiyar grants darshan to the devotees along with the Lords of the Ekadasa Rudra Kshetrams of Nangur.

References

https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/01/naalayiram-pillayar-temple-thirunangur.html

Century/Period

1000 Years Old

Nearest Bus Station

Nangur

Nearest Railway Station

Sirkazhi

Nearest Airport

Trichy

Location on Map

lightuptemple