Temples   > 98.Thiru Makara Nedunkulai Kaather Perumal Temple, Nava Tirupathi 7
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98.Thiru Makara Nedunkulai Kaather Perumal Temple, Nava Tirupathi 7
Divya Desams,Nava Tirupati Temples
Makara Nedunkuzhaikathar Temple is one of the Nava Tirupathi  All these 9 temples are classified as Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars.The temple is referred to as Sukra sthalam, a location for the planet deity, Sukra. Bhudevi offered Makara kundala, the ear rings, the presiding deity came to be known as Makara Nedunkuzhaikathar, the one who attained the ear rings.
Sthalam

 

Makara Nedunkuzhaikathar Temple is one of the Nava Tirupathi, nine Hindu temples dedicated to Vishnu located Thenthiruperai along Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamil Nadu, India in the southern bank of Thamiraparani river. It is located 5 km from Alwar Thirunagari.

 All these 9 temples are classified as Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars.The temple is referred to as Sukra sthalam, a location for the planet deity, Sukra. 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 Makara Nedunkuzhaikathar and his consort Lakshmi as Thiruperai Nachiyar.

A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower, is flat in structure. The temple follows Thenkalai tradition of worship. Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the ten-day annual Vaikanda Ekadasi during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December - January) 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.The same place hosts one of the Navakailasams, Sri Kailasanathar Temple, Then Thirupperai, the seventh in the series.
Puranam

 

As per Hindu legend, once Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu was left alone as he went to earth and lived with Bhudevi. Lakshmi prayed to sage Durvasa to give her the beauty of Bhudevi. The sage went to meet Bhudevi, who was with Vishnu. She pretended not to have seen the sage. In his fury, the sage cursed Bhudevi to transfer her form to Lakshmi.

Bhudevi pleaded with the sage to propitiate her off the curse. The sage asked her to pray Vishnu on the banks of river Tamirabarani. On a new moon day when she was doing the prayer in the river, she found a pair of ear rings in the form of a fish.

She offered it to Vishnu who appeared before him. When Vishnu accepted the ear ring, Bhudevi got her original form. Since Bhudevi offered Makara kundala, the ear rings, the presiding deity came to be known as Makara Nedunkuzhaikathar, the one who attained the ear rings.

 
Varnam

 

The temple is located in Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamil Nadu, India in the banks of Thamiraparani river, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple is constructed in Dravidian style of architecture. All the shrines of the temple are located in a rectangular granite walls, pierced by a three-tiered gopuram. The presiding deity is sported in a standing posture with Sridevi and Bhudevi on either of his sides.

The images of Bhoodevi and Sridevi along with the festival images are located inside the sanctum.In modern times, 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. 

 

Image of the Thayar shrine

Vaikunta Mahatmeeyam is another work in Sanskrit that glorifies the temple and is a part of Tamraparani Sthalapurana available only in palm manuscripts. The 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 of one of the temples of Navatirupathi. The temple is associated with the planet Sukra (Venus).
Highlights

 

 On the South bank of Tamaraibarani, one finds the big Nigaril Mugilvannan temple at ThenThiruperai, where the Lord is seen in a seated posture facing east. Legend has it that Goddess Bhoodevi found two fish-shaped ear rings while performing a penance to relieve herself of Sage Durvasa's curse and offered it to the Lord. Another story is that Varuna (the rain god) performed a penance here to be relieved of his curse.

As a mark of this episode, it is believed that Varuna, visits this temple, every year, on the full moon day in the month of Panguni (March-April) and worships Vishnu.
Sevas

 

The Garuda Sevai utsavam(festival) in the month of Vaikasi (May-Jun) witnesses 9 Garudasevai, a spectacular event in which festival image idols from the Nava Tirupathis shrines in the area are brought on Garuda vahana (sacred vehicle). An idol of Nammalvar is also brought here on a Anna Vahanam (palanquin) and his paasurams (verses) dedicated to each of these 9 temples are recited.

The utsavar (festival deity) of Nammalvar is taken in a palanquin to each of the 9 temples, through the paddy fields in the area. The paasurams (poems) dedicated to each of the 9 divya desams are chanted in the respective shrines. This is the most important of the festivals in this area, and it draws thousands of visitors.

The temple follows the traditions of the Thenkalai sect of Vaishnavite tradition and follows Pancharathra aagama. 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.

A hall inside the temple

The temple rituals are performed six times a day: Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 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 Makara Nedunkuzhaikathar and Thiruperai Nachiyar.

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.
Timings

Temple Timings (Opening and Closing):

Temple Graha Morning Hours Evening Hours
Sir Vaikuntanathan Perumal Temple Surya 7:00 AM – 12:00 Noon 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Natham Perumal Chandra 8:00 AM – 1:00 Noon 1:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Thiru Puliyangudi Budhan 8:00 AM – 1:00 Noon 1:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Rettai Tirupathi – North Rahu 8:00 AM – 1:00 Noon 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Rettai Tirupathi – South Ketu 8:30 AM – 1:00 Noon 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Perungulam Shani 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Then Thirupperai Sukran 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Thirukolur Chevvai 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM 1:00 Noon – 8:00 PM
Alwarthirunagari Vyazhan 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

 
Contact

 

Address: JX3P+8FV, Then Thirupperai, Tamil Nadu 628623, India

Phone: +91 4639 273 902

 
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