Thirukurungudi Temple

Introduction

Thirukurungudi Temple is a well-known Vishnu temple. It is located in the Thirukurungudi village in the Tirunelveli district of Southern Tamil Nadu, around 45 km from Tirunelveli. Here, Vishnu is worshipped as Vaishnava Nambi, who remains the presiding deity of this temple. His consort is Thirukurungudivalli. Many Azhwar saints have sung hymns in praise of this Lord, and so, this temple remains a Divya Deasm, a sacred abode of Vishnu. The demon Somuka is said to have decamped with the sacred Vedas, and this Lord is believed to have appeared to slay him. The temple lying at the foot of the Mahendragiri hills is regarded very holy and is hailed as Dakshina Vaikuntam, the heavenly abode of the Lord in South. ‘Kuramgam’ in classical Tamil means mother earth. As Bhooma Devi, the mother earth worshipped the Lord here, this is also called Kuranga Kshetram. The presiding deity, Azhagiya Nambi Rayar, is being called Vaishnava Nambi, as he is said to have been initiated into Vaishnavism by saint Ramanujar. There are some views that Arayar Sevai, the unique Vaishnava worship originated here only. This temple is also believed to be where Kaisika Natakam, an art form of worship involving music and dance, originated.

Temple Legends

As per Varaha Purana, Varaha, the wild-boar incarnation of Vishnu, chose to stay here with his consort Varahi, in a small or humble form, and this gave this place its name ‘Thiru Kurun Gudi,’ a small place or abode.

But this holy place is inseparably linked with the Nambaduvan legend. Nambaduvan, who hailed from a backward section of the society, was a staunch devotee of Vishnu. He was also a singer. But because of his birth in a lower caste, he could not step into the Thirukurungudi Temple, and instead, he used to stand outside, sing the Lord’s praise and worship him. One day, while going to the temple, a Brahma Rakshas, a deadly ghost caught hold of him. Undaunted, Nambaduvan explained to the ghost that it was the sacred Kaisika Ekadasi day and that he was going to sing the glory of the Lord and worship him on the occasion. And he promised to return to the same place after his prayers so that the ghost can eat him up. Nambaduvan sounded so genuine that even the ruthless ghost agreed to his request. The devotee worshipped the Lord and sang his praise to his heart’s content, and started returning to the ghost, as promised. Lord Vaishnava Nambi, pleased with Nambaduvan’s devotion, wanted to test his commitment, came to him in the form of a Brahmin, and counseled him not to go to the ghost. But Nambaduvan was determined to keep up his promise, returned to the appointed place, and offered himself to the ghost. When the surprised ghost requested him to give him a share of the virtue he earned by singing and praying to the Lord, Nambaduvan rendered some divine compositions. This relieved even the curse due to which the ghost got its form.

Thus, while Nambaduvan attained salvation by singing the glory of the Lord on Kaisika Ekadasi, the ghost, too, got liberation, just by hearing the songs. So it is believed that observing Kaisika Ekadasi or even hearing the singing or witnessing the austerities with devotion can ensure Moksha.

The History and Architecture of Thirukurungudi Temple

The inscriptions found in the temple show that the medieval Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagar kings and the Madurai Nayaks have all played a role in its construction, development, and upkeep. This huge temple complex is spread across 18 acres, contains 5 Prakarams, the precincts, encloses several shrines and a few water bodies, and has a big granite wall surrounding it. Its five-tiered Rajagopuram, the entrance tower, is flat and is 110 feet tall.

The term ‘Nambi’ can mean a virtuous, pleasant, and graceful person. The Lord is believed to be so, here. There are as many as 5 such Nambis in Thirukurungudi. These are Nindra Nambi, the Lord who is standing; Irundha Nambi, the sitting; Kidandha Nambi, the lying down; Thirupparkadal Nambi, the Lord in his milk-ocean abode, and Thirumalai Nambi. While the first 3 are housed in the temple, Thirupparkadal Nambi can be worshipped near river Nambiyaaru, slightly away. Thirumalai Nambi is enshrined in the Mahendragiri mountains, about 8 kilometers from the temple. As a rare phenomenon, a Lord Shiva shrine also forms part of this Vishnu temple.

The pillars in the halls contain many exquisite sculptures and carvings, while there are also paintings in the walls. Scenes from the epic Mahabharata and the image of Lord Virabhadra holding a sword and horn, remain especially noteworthy, among the sculptures.

It is believed that saint Thirumangai Azhwar reached the lotus feet of the Lord here, and his tomb can be worshipped in the Thirukurungudi village.

Temple Festivals

Brahmotsavam, Vasantha Utsavam, Pavitra Utsavam, Theppa Utsavam, the float festival, etc. are among the important festivals celebrated in this temple.

Benefits of Worshipping the Lord of Thirukurungudi Temple

Apart from the worldly blessings and materialistic pleasures, it is believed that the Lord will lead one in the spiritual path and grant even salvation, to sincere devotes.