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Location:
Tiruvaali
near Sirkazhi
(Chola Naadu)
Vishnu: Lakshmi Narasimhar, Vedarajan
Taayaar: Amritaghatavalli,
Amritavalli
Theertham:Ilaakshani Pushkarini
Paasuram :Tirumangaialwar, Kulasekharaalwar
Vimaanam:Ashtakshara Vimanam
Travel Base:Chidambaram
Description: Tiruvaali and
Tirunagari are located near Sirkazhi. Tirunagari is the
birthplace of Tirumangaialwar who is closely associated with the 11 Divya
Desam shrines of Tirunangur. Tiiruvaali is where Tirumangai Alwar's wife
Kumudavalli was raised. Tiruvaali is located at a 10 km east of Sirkazhi,
enroute to Tiruvenkadu. Tirunagari is at a distance of
of 5 km from Tiruvaali, again enroute to Poompuhaar. Tirumangai Alwar
refers to Perumaal as Vayalaali Manavalan at Tiruvaali; however Vayalaali
Manavaalan is enshrined at Tirunagari. Hence traditionally, Tiruvaali
and Tirunagari are considered to be a Divya Desam. Tirumangaialwar has
referred to Tiruvaali-Tirunagari in a total of 41 verses. Also, Kulasekharaalwar
in his decad of verses dedicated to Rama (Sowrirajan at Kannapuram) refers
to 'Aali Nagarkku Atipati' in a lone verse.
Tiruvaali:
The Moolavar here is Lakshmi Narasimhar, Vayalaali Manavaalan in a seated
posture facing west, while the Utsavar is Tiruvaali Nagaraalan. Taayaar
here is Amrita Ghatavalli.
Tirunagari:
The Moolavar here is Vedarajan in a seated posture facing west, while
the utsavar is Kalyana Ranganathan. Taayaar here is Amritavalli. Two of
the Narasimha images worshipped by Tirumangaialwar are located at Tirunagari.
There is a shrine to Tirumangai alwar where he is depicted as a hunter,
that he originally was; adjacent to him is a small image of Vishnu (Sindanaikkiniyaan,
which he had held in worship during his lifetime).
Legend
has it that at a distance of about a km from here, Tirumangaialwar
attacked Perumaal and Taayaar (in kalyanakkolam as a newly wed couple
hence Kalyanaranganathar), in order to steal their jewels; the touch of
Perumaal who initiated him into a religious way of life completely transformed
Kaliyan or Tirumangaimannan, who went on to become Tirumangaialwar, to
sing verses in chaste tamil, that constitue a sizeable portion of the
sacred Naalayira Divya Prabandam. This legend of Tirumangaialwar's
transformation is enacted here in the dramatic Vedupari Utsavam, as also
in the grand Srirangam temple during the Pankuni Bhramotsavam.
The temple:
The Tirunagari temple is a vast one, and is a Maadakkoyil built at an
elevation. A seventiered rajagopuram adorns the entrance to this temple
with four prakarams. Tirunagari is known as the Pancha Narasinga Kshetram,
as there are images to Narasimhar at Tiruvaali, Kuraiyalur (the spot where
Tirumangai Alwar intercepted Perumaal) and Mangaimadam (where Tirumangaialwar
fed devotees of Vishnu); there are two images of Narasimhar , one behind
the main shrine and one in one of the prakarams at Tirunagari. Manavala
muni has visited this shrine several times. One day prior to the grand
Tirunangur, Garuda Sevai festival, the image of Tirumangaialwar is taken
in procession to Kuraiyalur, Mangaimadam and Nangur.
Festivals:
Bhramotsavam here is celebrated in the month of Pankuni, the the Tirumangaialwar
festival in the month of Thai. The Tirumangaialwar Mangalasasana utsavam
in the month of Thai (after the new moon night) witnesses Garudasevai
- a spectacular event in which festival images of Perumaal from the 11
(Tirunaangur) Divya Desam shrines in the area are brought on Garuda
mounts to Tirunangur. An image of Tirumangai Alwar is brought to Tirunaangur
on a Hamsa Vahanam (from Tirunagari) and the his paasurams
(verses) dedicated to each of these 11 Divya Desams are recited.
The image of Tirumangaialwar circumambulates each of these deities, and
at the conclusion of the festival, the images are returned to their temples.
Prior to this, the image of Tirumangaialwar and his consort are taken
in a palanquin to each of the 11 Tirunangur Divya Desams, (trampling)
through the paddy fields in the area, and the paasurams dedicated to each
of the 11 Divya Desams are chanted in the respective shrines. The Ekadasa
Garuda Sevai is the most important festivals in this area, and it draws
thousands of visitors.
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