ThiruVaragunamangai Perumal Temple

Varagunamangai, the one who granted his Dharshan to a Brahmin vedic scholar is referred to in one of the poems of Nammalwar, he must be posterior to Varaguna Pandya from whose name it is assumed Varagunamangai took its name. But there are number of instances where this logic is not pertinent.[4] The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram amidst lush vegetation around the temple. Vishnu here appeared in answer to the prayer of sage Romesar who performed severe penances for several thousand years.[5][6]

As per another legend, a sage named Vedavith was living along the banks of the Tamarabarani river and was serving his elderly parents. After the death of his parents, he wanted to perform penance. Vishnu appeared in the form of a Brahmin and advised him to perform penance at Varagunamangai. After several years of penance and pleased by the devotion of Vedavith, Vishnu appeared before him. Vedavith requested Vishnu to appear as Vijaysanan at this place.[7]

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 enclosed in a rectangular granite structure, which is pierced by a five-tiered gopuram (gateway tower). There is a sixteen pillared granite hall in front of the gopuram. The sanctum houses the image of Vijayasana Perumal in sitting posture, flanked by both his consorts on either side. The festival images of Vijayasanar and Varagunavalli are located inside the sanctum.[8] The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.[9]

Image of the gopuram from inside the temple

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 an 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 Divyadesams are chanted in the respective shrines. This is the most important of the festivals in this area, and it draws thousands of visitors.[10][6]

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. 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 Vijayasana Perumal and Varagunavalli. 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.[3]

Brahmanda Purana one of the eighteen sacred texts of Hinduism and written by Veda Vyasa contains a chapter called Navathirupathi Mahatmeeyam. Vaikunta Mahatmeeyam is another work in Sanskrit that glorifies the temple and is a part of Tamraparani Sthalapurana available only in palm manuscripts.[11] 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. The temple is next only to Alwarthirunagari Temple in terms of importance among the nine Navatirupathi temple.[8][3] 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 Budha (Mercury).[12][8]