Makara Nedunkulaikathar Temple
Makara Nedunkulaikathar Temple
Makara Nedunkuḻaikathar Temple is one of the Nava Tirupathi, nine Hindu temples dedicated to Vishnu located at Thenthiruperai along Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamil Nadu in the southern bank of Thamirabarani river.
All these 9 temples are classified as Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet saints, or Alvars.The temple is referred to as Sukra sthalam, a location for the planet deity, Shukra.It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Makara Nedunkuḻaikathar and his consort Lakshmi as Tiruperai Nachiyar.
The rajagopuram, the temple’s gateway tower, is flat in structure.The temple follows Thenkalai tradition of worship. Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the ten-day annual Vaikunta Ekadashi during the Tamil month of Margaḻi (December – January) and the Nammalvar birth celebrations with Garudasevai with all nine temple of Nava Tirupati, being the most prominent.
The presiding deity is sported in a standing posture with Sridevi and Bhudevi on either of his sides. The images of Bhoodevi and Sridevi along with the festival images are located inside the sanctum.
Legend
As per the temple’s regional legend, once Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu was left alone as he went to earth and lived with Bhudevi. Lakshmi prayed to sage Durvasa to give her the beauty of Bhudevi. The sage went to meet Bhudevi, who was with Vishnu. She pretended not to have seen the sage. In his fury, the sage cursed Bhudevi to transfer her form to Lakshmi. Bhudevi pleaded with the sage to propitiate her off the curse. The sage asked her to pray to Vishnu on the banks of river Tamirabarani. On a new moon day, when she was performing the prayer in the river, she found a pair of earrings in the form of a fish. She offered it to Vishnu, who appeared before her. When Vishnu accepted the ear ring, Bhudevi got her original form. Since Bhudevi offered her the makara kundala, the earrings, the presiding deity came to be known as Makara Nedunkulaikathar, the one who attained the ear rings.
Each Lord of the nine Nava Thirupathi temples is said to represent one of the Navagrahas, the nine planets. And Makara Nedunkuzhaikathar denotes Shukra, the planetary Lord Venus. Hence praying to him here is believed to remove any afflictions and adverse effects of planet Venus and bestow wealth, comforts, and joy on the devotees.
