Jaganatha Perumal Temple (Nathan Koil), Thirunandhipura Vinnagaram
Thirunandhipura Vinnagaram
Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Sthala Purāṇam
The Jaganatha Perumal Temple at Nathan Koil, near Kumbakonam, is the twenty-first of the hundred and eight Divya Desams, where Vishnu is worshipped as Jaganatha, also called Nathanathan, with his consort as Shenbagavalli Thayar. The principal sthala puranam centres on Nandi, the sacred bull of Shiva. Nandi once failed to show proper reverence to Vishnu's dwarapalakas, the divine gatekeepers, and was cursed so that his body burned with oppressive heat. Distressed, he sought counsel from Shiva, who directed him to Shenbagaranyam, the forest of shenbaga (champak) trees that is the present temple site, where Lakshmi herself was performing penance to be received into Vishnu's chest. Pleased by Nandi's austerities, Lord Narayana appeared, relieved him of the curse, and simultaneously welcomed Lakshmi into his heart. Because Nandi attained grace here, the place is named Nandipuram and the temple Nandhipura Vinnagaram, vinnagaram meaning heavenly temple; the sacred tank is called Nandi Theertham, with another water body named Nandi Pushkarini. A secondary legend recalls Emperor Sibi, who offered his own flesh to save a pigeon from a pursuing eagle; witnessing this selflessness, Vishnu blessed him and is held to face west to honour the deed. The temple vimana is the Mandara Vimanam. Thirumangai Alvar sang eleven pasurams glorifying this shrine in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Jaganatha Perumal (Vinnagara Perumal) with Shenbagavalli of Thirunandhipura Vinnagaram is glorified by:
Thirunandhipura Vinnagaram, the Jaganatha Perumal temple at Nathan Koil near Kumbakonam, takes its name from Nandi (Shiva's bull) who did penance here and was relieved of a curse by Vishnu; the Lord is enshrined seated, bearing sword, bow, discus, conch and staff, under the Mandhaara Vimanam facing west. Its Mangalasasanam is by Thirumangai Alvar alone, who praised the shrine in his Periya Thirumozhi (commonly cited as ten or eleven hymns).
Verses & references (1)
- Thirumangai Alvar sings the Mangalasasanam of Jaganatha Perumal (Natha Nathan / Vinnagara Perumal) of Thirunandhipura Vinnagaram (Nathan Koil) near Kumbakonam — the Lord seated under the Mandhaara Vimanam who relieved Nandi (Shiva's bull) of the curse of oppressive heat after his penance in the Shenbaranya forest. Authorities record about ten to eleven hymns by the Alvar in his Periya Thirumozhi. Exact Tamil verse text and decade reference were not confidently sourced and are left blank. — Thirumangai Alvar, Periya Thirumozhi · source ↗
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