The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day: Ushathkalam at 7 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Azhagiya Manavalan and Kamalavalli. During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument) are played, religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.
Serthi Sevai, the annual home coming festival is celebrated in the temple annually during the Ayilyam star in the Tamil month of Panguni. The festival is a part of the Panguni Uthiram festival of Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple, when the festival idol of Srirangam temple, Namperumal, is brought to the Nachiyar temple and the images of Nachiyar and Namperumal are adorned in the Serthi hall of the temple. Special rituals are performed during the occasion. The other major festivals celebrated in the temple are Dolostava, Vasanthothsava (spring festival) and Navaratri.
Paramapada Vasal and entrance of Tirupanazhwar shrine
The temple is believed to be the birthplace of Thiruppaan Alvar, one of the Alvar saints belonging to the 6th-8th centuries. In Srirangam Ranganthaswamy temple, a yearly birth festival of Thiruppaan is celebrated with Viswaroopa darshan of Ranganatha at the sanctum on the occasion of his birthday. The festive idol of Thiruppaan is taken from the temple to Srirangam. Thiruppaan is accorded with grand honours called "Keezha Padi Honours".
A Parivattam (silk turban) is tied on the Alvar's head, adorned with a garland, a shawl is wrapped around his shoulders and sacred sandal paste is handed to him, all of which are believed to bring a smile on the face of the Alvar.
An hour later, the image of the Alvar is taken to Nammalvar shrine and then to the goddess shrine, with the chanting of Nalayira Divya Prabandham with the verses of the Alvar's work Amalanaathipiraan. In the Azhagiya Manavala Perumal temple, a 10-day festival is celebrated in parallel that includes Araiyar sevai, Veda Paaraayanam (reciting of Vedas), special thirumanjanam (ablution) and procession inside the temple.