Thiruvaikunda Vinnagaram Temple, Thirunangur

Introduction

Thiruvaikunda Vinnagaram is a Vishnu temple, where he is worshipped as Vaikunta Nathar. Also known as the Vaikunta Natha Perumal Temple, this is located in the Thirunangur village, near Sirkazhi town in the Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu. Goddess Vaikuntavalli is the Lord’s consort. The Azhwar saints have praised the Lord and the temple in their sacred hymns, and so, this temple is classified under the 108 Divyadesams, the special abodes of Vishnu. There are 11 such Divya Desams in and around Thirunangur, and this temple-cluster is known as Thirunangur Tirupathi. And Thiruvaikunda Vinnagaram is one of those temples. All these temples share a common legend, and a close association with saint Thirumangai Azhwar, who also belongs to this region. Uthankar, the sage, and Uparisarvasara, the king are believed to have worshipped this Perumal.

Apart from the Divyaprabhandham of the Azhwars, the temple has also come under praise in later works like Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Iyengar’s 108 Tirupathi Anthathi.

Temple Legends

The legend connects these Vishnu temples with Shiva and an episode from his life. Goddess Sati, Shiva’s consort, attended her father Daksha’s Yagna, the sacrifice, against the wishes of Shiva. Daksha entertained a serious grouse against Shiva and did not invite him or his daughter for the grand sacrifice, despite extending an invitation to all other celestials and sages. And when Sati went there uninvited, Daksha humiliated her and her husband Shiva publicly, and a dejected Sati jumped into the sacrificial fire and killed herself. Shiva went mad with anger and grief at the loss of his spouse and began doing his Tandava, the fearful dance of destruction. And as and when his locks of hair touched the ground, 11 new manifestations of Shiva, sprang up from there. This development was sure to cause the extinction of the living things of the universe, and fearing such a calamity, the celestials pleaded for Lord Vishnu’s intervention. In order to protect the universe, Vishnu is said to have appeared before Shiva, and this made Shiva calm down. And Vishnu is also said to have taken 11 manifestations on Shiva’s request, as it happened in Shiva’s case, and the 11 Thirunangur Tirupathi temples are the abodes of these 11 Vishnu forms.

The Architecture of Thiruvaikunda Vinnagaram Temple, Thirunangur

The temple has a single precinct, and a single shrine, which happens to be the sanctum. Lord Vaikunta Nathar, also called Thamaraikannan, the lotus-eyed one, is seated there facing East. His consort Vaikuntavalli Thayar and the festival deities are also housed along with him. The sanctum that is compared to Vaikuntam, the heavenly abode of the Lord, has the Ananta Satya Vartaka Vimanam, as its roof. Lakshmi Pushkarini and Viraja Pushkarini are the sacred water bodies of the temple.

Temple Festivals

The important festival of this temple and also of all the 11 Thirunangur Tirupathi temples is the Thirumangai Azhwar Mangalasasana Utsavam. The festival deities of all the 11 temples are brought in processions in Garuda Sevai, that is, on their Garuda mounts, to Thirunangur. The image of saint Thirumangai Azhwar is also carried there in a palanquin when his compositions on all these deities are recited with piety. This celebration is held in the Tamil month Thai (January-February) and is witnessed by thousands of devotees. Vaikunta Ekadasi is also celebrated with enthusiasm in Margazhi (December-January).

Benefits of worshipping the Lord of Thiruvaikunda Vinnagaram

People pray to this Lord, among other blessings, for unity in the family and spiritual guidance.