Ninra Narayana Perumal Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The closest international airport is Madurai, about 70 km from Sivakasi.

• By train

  Thiruthangal has its own railway station, where the Podhigai and Silambu Express stop.

• By road

  Thiruthangal is well connected by bus and train, and the temple is on the Madurai road.

Why devotees come here

Ninra Narayana Perumal Temple stands in Thiruthangal, a town 2 km from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Vishnu and is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples praised in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham.

Vishnu is worshipped here as Ninra Narayana, and his consort Lakshmi as Arunakamala Mahadevi. Some ancient Sanskrit books call the temple a uthamakshetram, a place that gives the best to its devotees. The temple's Sthala Purana tells of a contest among the consorts of Vishnu, Sridevi, Bhudevi and Niladevi, over who was the most devoted to him. Sridevi was judged the most devoted. The town takes its name from a legend too: Ranganatha is said to have stopped here for a night on his way to Andal, and so the place came to be called Thiruthangal.

The temple in its present form is believed to have been built by Devendra Vallabha, a Pandya king. In 1227 a minister of Sundara Pandyan, Gurukulatharaiyan, arranged for the sanctum, Mahamandapam and Ardhamandapam to be built. In modern times two philanthropists, Ramanujadasa and Narayanadasa, arranged for the building of the Kalyana Mantapa, the Garuda Mandapa and other halls.

The temple has no rajagopuram, the gateway tower found at most South Indian temples. The roof over the sanctum is called the Somachandra Vimana, and it is similar to those at Srirangam and Alagarkovil. Garuda, adorned with jewellery, is shown beside his traditional enemy, Adisesha.

Festivals

• Vaikasi, May to JuneVaikasi Vasanthothsavam

  Devotees pull the chariot round the streets of Thiruthangal.

• Ten days eachPillai Lokacharyar and Kurathalvar festivals

  Two more of the most prominent festivals of the temple, each celebrated for ten days.

• Chitra PournamiChitra Pournami

  The festival image takes a holy dip in the Arujan river, then is taken around ten villages on a horse mount.

Tips for your visit

• Karunellinathar, a famous Shiva temple, stands next to this one.
• The hill shrine is reached from Karunellinathar, by going up the hillock.

Questions people ask