Devapiran Perumal Temple (Irattai Tirupati - Mel)
Thiruttholaivillimangalam (Mel Thirupati)
Photo: Ssriram mt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
One of the twin Irattai Tirupati shrines among the Nava Tirupati, associated with Rahu.
Sthala Purāṇam
Tholaivillimangalam, on the banks of the Thamiraparani in Thoothukudi district, is celebrated as the Irattai Tirupati ('twin Tirupati') because two Divya Desam shrines stand close together, about a hundred yards apart. This entry is the Mel (upper) temple of Devapiran, also venerated as Srinivasan, where Vishnu gives darshan standing (ninra kolam), facing east, with Lakshmi on his chest; his consort is worshipped as Karunthadankanni, and shrines for Padmavathi and Alarmelmangai are also present. The sthala puranam explains the village name: the sage Athreya Suprabha, while cleaning his ritual ground, found a balance (thulaam) and a bow (vil). When he touched them, they turned into a man and woman who had been cursed by Kubera; the sage's touch granted them release (sabha vimochana). Because both the thulaam and the vil obtained liberation, the place became 'Thulam-Vil-Mangalam', which evolved into Tholaivillimangalam; the balance symbolizes the Lord's impartiality and the bow the ideal of devotion. In the Navagraha scheme of the Nava Tirupati, the Devapiran (upper) shrine of the Irattai Tirupati is the Rahu sthalam, while the twin Aravindalochanar shrine is the Ketu sthalam. Nammalvar sang both twin shrines together in his Tiruvaymoli, voicing the love-longing of Parankusa Nayaki for the Lord; during the Vaikasi Garuda Sevai festival his idol is carried on the Anna Vahanam through the surrounding paddy fields and his pasurams for each of the nine Thamiraparani temples are recited.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Devapiran (Srinivasan) with Karuntadankanni Nachiyar of Thiruttholaivillimangalam (Mel Thirupati) is glorified by:
Devapiran Perumal (the Mel / northern shrine of the 'Irattai Tirupati' twin temples) at Thiruttholaivillimangalam is one of the Nava Tirupati. It is sung by Nammalvar in Thiruvaaymozhi decade 6.5 (ten pasurams), the same decade that praises its twin Aravindalochanar. The two shrines, only about 100 yards apart, are treated as a single Divya Desam, and the Thayar is praised along with the Lord. Verbatim Tamil of 6.5.8 is from the authoritative divyaprabandham.koyil.org.
thirundhu vEdhamum vELviyum thirumAmagaLirum thAm malindhu irundhu vAzh porunal vadagarai vaN tholaivillimangalam
Devapiran Perumal (the Mel / northern of the twin 'Irattai Tirupati' shrines) at Thiruttholaivillimangalam is praised together with its twin in Nammalvar's Thiruvaaymozhi decade 6.5. Speaking as ParankusaNayaki, the Alvar describes the maiden growing weak with love-longing from the day she worshipped the Lord of Thiruttholaivillimangalam on the fertile northern bank of the Porunal (Tamiraparani), where the Vedas, sacrifices, and Lakshmi flourish. Verse 6.5.8 names the kshetram and the lotus-eyed Lord.
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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