Appakkudathaan Perumal Temple, Koviladi
Thirupper Nagar
Photo: Ssriram mt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
One of the Pancharanga Kshetrams along the Cauvery.
Sthala Purāṇam
Thirupper Nagar at Koviladi, sung by the Alvars, derives its name from the Lord's promise that he will never depart from this place or from the hearts of his devotees, the region having been called Per Nagar in Chola times; Koviladi denotes its position downstream (adi) of the great kovil at Srirangam. The presiding deity, reclining in Kidantha Kolam facing west, is Appakkudathaan (Appala Ranganatha), with Thayar as Indravalli or Kamalavalli. The central sthala puranam tells of a king afflicted by the curse of sage Durvasa, who had passed unnoticed and so deprived the king of his strength. To expiate this, the king performed annadhanam, feeding a lakh of people daily on the banks of the Kaveri. One day an aged Brahmin appeared and consumed all the food prepared yet remained unsatisfied, asking only for a pot (kudam) of sweet appam. When the king offered it, the Brahmin revealed himself as Vishnu, lifted the curse, and reclined here holding the pot of appam, whence the name Appakkudathaan (he of the pot of appam). The temple is one of the five Pancharanga Kshetrams along the Kaveri. It is also revered as the place where sage Markandeya was freed from Yama's decree of early death. Nammalvar, Periyalvar, Tirumangai Alvar and Tirumazhisai Alvar have all sung its praise; tradition holds it as a mukti sthalam. The vimana is the Indra Vimanam.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Appakkudathaan (Appala Ranganatha) with Indravalli (Kamalavalli) of Thirupper Nagar is glorified by:
Thirupper Nagar (Koviladi), the Appakkudathaan / Appala Ranganatha shrine on the south bank of the Cauvery, has one of the richest Mangalasasanam records among Chola Nadu temples, with about 33 pasurams from four Alvars: Periyalvar (2), Thirumalisai Alvar (1), Thirumangai Alvar (the largest share), and Nammalvar (the 11-verse decade Thiruvaaymozhi 10.8, 'thirumAlirunjOlai malai'). It is especially revered as the place from which Nammalvar is said to have sung toward the close of his Thiruvaaymozhi; his 10.8 decade, where the Lord enters his heart unbidden by causeless grace, names 'then thiruppEr' in every verse. A verbatim verse (10.8.1) is included from the authoritative koyil.org Divya Prabandham edition.
திருமாலிருஞ்சோலை மலையென்றேன் என்ன, திருமால் வந்து என் நெஞ்சு நிறையப் புகுந்தான், குருமா மணியுந்து புனல் பொன்னித் தென்பால் திருமால் சென்று சேர்விடம் தென்திருப்பேரே.
thirumAlirunjOlai malai enREn enna, thirumAl vandhu en nenju niRaiyap pugundhAn; kurumA maNi undhu punal ponnith thenpAl, thirumAl senRu sErvidam then thiruppErE.
The moment I merely uttered 'the hill of Thirumalirunjolai,' Thirumal himself came and filled my heart completely. The place where He went and settled is beautiful ThiruppEr (Thirupper Nagar), on the southern bank of the Ponni (Cauvery) whose waters wash down lustrous great gems. This is the opening verse of Nammalvar's penultimate decade (10.8), all eleven verses of which long for and glorify Thiruppernagar.
kaiyilangu Azhi sangan, karumugil thiruniRaththan, poyyilan meyyan than thAL adaivarEl adimai akkum, seyyalar kamalam Ongu seri pozhil then thiruppEr, paiyaravaNaiyAn nAmam paravinAn uyndhavARE
Thirumangai Alvar praises the Lord of southern ThiruppEr - dark as a rain-cloud, holding the gleaming discus and conch, true to those who are true to Him - reclining on the spreading hood of Adisesha amid groves of blooming lotuses; whoever utters His name is redeemed. (Attributed to Thirumangai Alvar's Thiruppernagar decade; transliteration only - exact Tamil orthography not independently verified against a primary edition.)
Tamil text & meaning sourced from divyaprabandham.koyil.org and other Śrī Vaiṣṇava authorities — please cross-check the linked source for the canonical reading.
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