Divyadesam 97
Devapiran Perumal Temple, also known as Thirutholaivillimangalam Irettai Thirupathi Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Tholavillimangalam, a village in Thoothukudi district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.
It is located 22 km from Tirunelveli. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Devapiran and his consort Lakshmi as Karunthadankanni.
The temple is also classified as a Navatirupathi, the nine temples revered by Nammazhwar located in the banks of Tamiraparani river. Along with the Aravindalochanar temple located 100 yards away, the temple is referred as Irattai Tirupathy (meaning twin Tirupathis). This temple is a Ketu Sthalam.
A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. Unlike other South Indian temples, the temple does not have a rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower. The Vijayanagar and Nayak kings commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of the temple during the 16th century.
Devapiran is believed to have appeared to slay the demon Somuka who abducted the four Vedas. The temple follows Thenkalai tradition of worship. Four daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the ten-day annual Brahmotsavam during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April - May) and the Nammazhwar birth celebrations with Garudasevai with all nine temple of Navatirupathi, being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Brahmanda Purana one of the eighteen sacred texts of Hinduism and written by Veda Vyasa contains a chapter called Navathirupathi Mahatmeeyam that describes all the nine temples of Navatirupathi.
The Devapiran temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Nammazhwar. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. The temple is also classified as a Navatirupathi, the nine temples revered by Nammazhwar located in the banks of Tamiraparani river
Nammazhwar makes a reference about the temple in his works in Thirvaimozhi. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the temple finds mention in several works like 108 Tirupathi Anthathi by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar.
The temple also forms a series of Navagraha temples where each of the nine planetary deities is associated with one of the Navatirupathi temples. The temple is associated with Ketu, a snake planet. Along with the Aravindalochanar temple located 100 yards away, the temple is referred as Irattai Tirupathy (meaning twin Tirupathis.