Palayamkottai Mannar Rajagopalaswamy Temple - Thirunelveli

Address

Palayamkottai Mannar Rajagopalaswamy Temple – Thirunelveli

Palayamkottai, Thirunelveli District,

Tamil Nadu – 627002

Phone: +91 462 257 4949 / 257 2097

Moolavar

Rajagopalaswamy and Vedanarayana Perumal

Amman

Vedavalli and Kumudavalli.

Introduction

Mannar Rajagopalaswamy Temple is dedicated to God Vishnu located at Palayamkottai near Thirunelveli town in Thirunelveli District of Tamilnadu. This temple is devoted to Lord Vishnu and is worshipped as Rajagopalaswamy and Vedanarayana Perumal. This place was earlier called Thirumangai Nagar. The Temple is located on the banks of Tamaraibarani River. The place is also called as Shenbagaranya Kshetram. The east facing Azhagiya Mannar Rajagopalaswamy temple dates back to the Pandya period. All the daily poojas, religious rituals and festivals are conducted as per Aagama Sastras

Puranic Significance

During the Pandya rule, Palayamkottai was known as ‘Sri Vallabha Mangalam’. After the rule of Pandya King Sri Vallabha, the temple town was known as ‘Shenbaga Aranyam’. During the rule of Pandya Kings and later Chola Kings, the temple of Sri Vedanarayana was expanded a lot. Later Sri Ariyanatha Mudaliyar who was chieftain under Sri Viswanatha Naicker, a famous king of Madurai, divided the kingdom into 72 divisions called Palayams. One of these Palayams was called Palayamkottai. The Temple is believed to be 1000- 2000 years old. An ancient Fort can also be seen in this temple town. Mana Vallabha Pandyan is believed to have constructed the temple and big walls surrounding the 2.5acre temple. The temple was renovated and the Samprokshanam was held on July 9, 2009 in a grand manner.

Lord transformed a female child to male child:

A priest by name Vishnu Priyan was performing archanas to the lord regularly. He wished to get a male child. But his wife delivered a female child successively and this irritated him. Hence the priest begged the lord to give him a male child. On the next delivery also his wife gave birth to a female child which angered the priest. Hence he threw the archana plate on the lord which caused damage to the lord’s idol. Then he moved towards his home and he found a male child. The lord transformed his female child as a male child. On seeing the lord’s grace he was frightened and moved towards the temple to seek pardon from the lord. He reached the temple and asked pardon. Lord Gopalaswami along with Bhama and Rukmini (his consorts) appeared before him. Hence the lord is known as Azhagiya Mannar Rajagopalaswamy.

Indra gave Gopalaswami idol to Arjuna:

Once Demons troubled Indira who ruled over a kingdom of devas and devas. During that time Arjuna reached the kingdom of Indira to see him. Indira asked Arjuna to destroy the demons and further informed that the demons were found at Thoyamapuram (Ocean’s middle portion). Arjuna had also accepted it and moved to the demons and challenged them. Arjuna was surprised to see the demons fell dead in the war came alive. At that time Arjuna heard a voice which stated that Arjuna would get victory if he derided the demons at him. Hence Arjuna faked as if he retreats from the war which put the demons derided at him. Arjuna waited for that time and he launched Pasupatha weapon against the demons which erased all the demons. Indra was pleased with it and he gave Gopalaswami idol to Arjuna for his worship.

Vedanarayana:

Brahmma is believed to have undertaken penance invoking Lord Vishnu to help recover the Vedic Scriptures that had been taken away by the Asuras. Hence Lord Vishnu got the name Veda Narayanan.

Beliefs

Devotees are praying towards the lord for good education of their children, child boon and to remove the marriage obstacles. Devotees are offering Vastras and Thirumanjanam to the lord to express their thanks giving. Devotees pray for removal of obstacles in marriage talks, for child boon and progress in education. People perform Tirumanjanam for Perumal and offer vastras

Special Features

This temple is devoted to Lord Vishnu and is worshipped as Gopalaswami and Vedanarayana Perumal. This place was earlier called Thirumangai Nagar. The temple is referred to as a ‘Thuvi Sthalam’- with the two tier structure below the Ashtanga Vimanam (similar to Thiru Koshtiyur/Uthira Merur/Koodal Azhagar) – the Varna Kala (idol) Veda Narayanan seen in a grand sitting posture with four hands flanked by Veda Valli and Kumudavalli Thaayar. With one hand, Veda Narayanan seems to be inviting the devotees to come to him, with the other he is seen blessing those who come to offer their prayers. He is seen with a Conch and Chakra in his other two hands.

There is no abishekam for this Varna Kala Moolavar. Also, in the Sannidhi are Bhrigu and Markandeya Rishis, who undertook penance at this place and had darshan of Veda Narayanan. Urvasi and Thilothama idols are also seen inside the Sannidhi alongside Veda Narayanan. Azhagiya Mannar is in Standing Posture with Bhoo and Sri Devi (with exquisite paintings on all the four walls). The Lord graces from the sanctum sanctorum as Vedanarayana Perumal with Mothers Sridevi and Bhoodevi. In the inner mandapam, the Lord graces with Mothers Vedavalli and Kumudavalli. On the tower, he graces as Azhagiya Mannar Rajagopalaswamy with Mothers Sridevi and Bhoodevi.

The temple is built with a blend of Tamil architecture and that of the Mathura Sri Krishna temple. Inside the Maha Mandapam on the walls, one finds exquisite mooligai paintings sketching the Ramayana story. Inside this mandapam, one sees fish shaped sculptures on most of the pillars, another indication of the construction of the temple during the Pandya rule. The Utsava Murthy (the procession deity) of this temple is called as ‘Sri Rajagopala Swamy’ also known as ‘Mannar’. In Tamil, a King is referred to as ‘Mannar’. Mother Goddess or Thayar of this temple is Sridevi, Bhama, Bhoodevi and Rukmini.

The temple of Sri Vedanarayana is huge with spacious inner and outer prakarams. There is a Mukha Mandapam facing in the east where devotees can see Dwajasthambam, Bali peetam and Garuda. There is a separate sannidhi for Garuda. The Garuda is known as ‘Moolai Garudan (Corner Garuda) in this temple. There is a separate sannidhi for the Lord Hanuman. There are separate shrines for Goddess Sri Sridevi and Sri Bhudevi here named as ‘Vedavalli’ and ‘Kumudavalli’ respectively behind Sri Vedanarayana Sanctum in the first prakaram.

An interesting feature at this temple is that the madapalli has a gopuram. There are no Andal and Nammazhvar Sannidhis in this temple. There are shrines for Shenbaga Vinayaka, Dasavathara of Sri Vishnu, 12 celebrated Alwars, Paramapatha Nathar, Lakshminarayana, Lord Aadi Varaha with his consort Sri Bhudevi and Anjaneya in the temple. 50 feet high Kodi Maram (temple flag) along with the 5 tier Raja Gopuram can be seen from the Thirunelveli Bye Pass road gives this temple a majestic look. The Raja Gopuram also has sculptures relating to Vishnu and Shiva Puranam.