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Location:
Tirunavaya
near Kalikota - Malappuram - Kerala
(Malai Naadu)
Vishnu: Tirunavai Mukundan, Navamukundan
(Narayanan)
Taayaar: Malarmangai
Naachiyaar
Theertham:Senkamala Saras
Paasuram :Nammalwar, Tirumangaialwar
Vimaanam:Veda Vimanam
Travel Base:Thrissur
Description:
This
is an ancient temple of Kerala - considered equivalent to Banares, located
on the Bharatapuzhaa river. Across the river are temples to Shiva
and Bhrama.
Deities:
The presiding diety here is Navamukundan. There are subshrines to Ganapati
on the south west corner and Bhagavati on the north east corner. The base
of the temple is built of stone, while the superstructure above is of
laterite, stucco and timberwork. The temple is considered to be demonstrative
of the evolved Kerala type of architecture, dating back to the 13th -14th
centuries.
Legends:
The name Tirunaavaai is said to have stemmed from the
legend that nine yogis offered worship here. Legend has it that Lakshmi
and Gajendran the king of elephants worshipped Vishnu here with lotus
flowers from a lake;with two devotees using flowers from the same source,
supply dwindled, and Gajendran appealed to Vishnu, who took Lakshmi by
his side on the same throne and accepted worship offered by Gajendran.
The Alwars:
Two of the Tamil Alwars have sung of this temple (in the 8th-9th centuries
- Nammalwar and Tirumangaialwar) in a total of 13 verses in Tamil
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