Vedarajan temple, Thirunagari

Vedarajan Temple in Thirunagari, a village in Mayiladuthurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Vedarajan and his consort Lakshmi as Amruthavalli.

The temple is believed to be the birthplace of Thirumangai Alvar, one of the twelve Alvar saints.

A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines, while the water tank is located in a street axial to the eastern gateway. The temple has a seven-tiered rajagopuram, the gateway tower. The temple is originally believed to have been built by the Cholas, with later additions by the Vijayanagara and Thanjavur Nayak kings who commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of the temple during the 16th century.

Vedarajan is believed to have appeared to Thirumangai Alvar at this place. The temple follows the Tenkalai tradition of worship. Four daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the fourteen-day annual Brahmotsavam during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May – June) being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Legend

As per Hindu legend, a son of Brahma named Karthama Prajapathi did penance worshipping Vishnu to attain Moksha. Vishnu was not pleased and Lakshmi, his consort was not convinced with Vishnu testing Karthama. She hid herself in the lotus tank at this place. Vishnu came in search of her and after finding her, he took her to Vaikunta. It is believed that Vishnu is sported in hugging posture in the nearby Thirungari also on account of the legend. Karthama took many births during various ages like Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga, but Vishnu told him that he would get Moksha only during Kali Yuga. During Kali Yuga, Karthama was born as prince Sangabalan. During his young age, he wanted to marry Kumudavalli. She was an ardent devotee of Vishnu and stipulated that she would marry him only if he feeds thousand Vaishnavites, the devotees of Vishnu. Sangabalan started feeding the devotees and he also resorted to burglary to fund it. Vishnu came with Lakshmi incognito in his path and he tried to rob them as well. Vishnu uttered the Ashtatra Mantra in his ears and he turned into Thirumangai Alvar. Since Vishnu in the form of Ranganatha offered a darshana to the Alvar and his wife, the presiding deity is called Kalyana Ranganatha. The place is locally called Alvar Koil and also called Vedarajapuram.

History and literary mention

While the exact history of the temple could not be ascertained, it is originally believed to have been built by the Cholas, with later additions by the Vijayanagar and Thanjavur Nayak kings who commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of the temple during the 16th century. Vedarajan temple is revered in the Naalayira Divya Prabhandam, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Kulasekara Alvar and Thirumangai Alvar. The temple is classified as a Divya Desam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book.During the 18th and 19th centuries, the temple finds mention in several works like 108 Tirupathi Anthathi by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar. In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.