Thiruvellakkulam Sri Siniwasapperumal (Annan Perumal) Temple, Nagapattinam

Address

Thiruvellakkulam Sri Siniwasapperumal (Annan Perumal) Temple, Thiruvellakulam. Annankoil, Tamil Nadu 609109

Diety

Annan Perumal, Amman: Alamermangai

Introduction

Thiruvellakkulam (also called Annan Perumal Temple or Annankoil) is dedicated to Vishnu located in Thirunangur, a village in the outskirts of Sirkazhi in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Annan Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Alamermangai. Thala Virutcham : Vilwa, Parasu Theertham : Vellakula Theertham

Puranic Significance

King Dundumaran had a son named Swethan. Sage Vasishta said that the boy would die at the age of nine. The king fell at the feet of Sage Vasishta and begged for a remedy. The sage told the king that he should bathe in the tank in Tirunangoor, pray to Lord Srinivasa chanting the Narasimha Mrutyunjaya Mantra. Swetha followed the advice of the sage for a full month. At the end of the month, Perumal appeared before the young Swetha and said that he had conquered death and added that any person chanting this Mantra 8000 times in this place would never be afraid of death. This temple is noted for this boon.

Special Features

The temple has a three tiered rajagopuram and all its shrines are enclosed in a rectangular granite wall. The temple tank is located opposite to the gateway tower. The temple complex has a single prakaram (closed precincts of a temple) and separate shrines for Perumal, Manavala mamunigal, Nachiar and Nammalvar. Kumudavalli Nachiar, the wife of Thirumangai Alvar was found here and she has a separate shrine. It is located close to Thirunangur, a small village, 8 km east of Sirkali en route to Thiruvenkadu. The temple is also referred as Then Tirupathi (Southern Tirupathi) and has same structure as Tirupathi temple.

Festivals

During the new moon day of the Tamil month Thai, the festival deity of Thirumangai Azhwar is brought to the temple from Thiruvali-Thirunagari. The Thirumangai Azhwar Mangalasasana Utsavam is celebrated in the Tamil month of Thai (January–February). The highlight of the festival is Garudasevai, an event in which the festival images of the eleven Thirunangur Tirupathis are brought on mount designed like Garuda, called Garuda Vahana, to Thirunangur