Neelamegha Perumal Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Trichy Airport is the nearest international airport, about 150 km from Nagapattinam.

• By train

  Trains from Nagapattinam include Chennai (Train No. 16175).

• By road

  State and private buses run on the routes out of Nagapattinam.

Why devotees come here

Neelamegha Perumal Temple stands in Thirukannapuram, a village on the outskirts of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the 108 Divya Desam, the Vishnu temples named in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. Only Srirangam has more hymns in that collection.

Neelamegha Perumal is one of the 108 Divya Desam, the Vishnu temples named in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. The temple has the second most hymns in that collection, after Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple. Legend says Vishnu appeared wearing a wig, called sowri locally, to save a devotee, and that is how the name Sowriraja Perumal arose. The Padma Purana tells how Vishnu came as a 16-year-old boy and defeated King Vasu. It took Vasu a while to realise that the boy was Vishnu in disguise. Vasu later asked Vishnu to marry his daughter Padmini.

The temple is believed to have been built by the Cholas, with later additions by the Thanjavur Nayaks. The seven-tier rajagopuram is about 100 ft (30 m) tall, and the complex covers 1.5 acres (0.61 ha). The presiding deity, Neela Meghar, is in the sanctum, reached through the gateways and the Mahamandapa.

Four temple tanks are associated with the temple. The largest, Nityapushkarani, lies opposite the temple and measures 450 ft (140 m) by 415 ft (126 m). Vishnu is worshipped here as Neelamegha Perumal, with his consort Lakshmi known as Thirukannapura Nayagi.

Festivals

• Tamil month of Vaikasi, April to MayBrahmotsavam

  The major festival of the temple, a twelve-day celebration.

• Tamil month of Masi, February to MarchMasi Mahotsavam

  Another festival of ten days.

Tips for your visit

• The largest of the four temple tanks, Nityapushkarani, lies opposite the temple and measures 450 ft (140 m) by 415 ft (126 m).
• Thirukannapuram is one of the eight holy centres of salvation in Vaishnavism, along with Tirupathi, Srirangam, Srimushnam, Naguneri, Saligram, Pushkar and Padarikashram.

Questions people ask