Sowmya Narayana Perumal Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Madurai International Airport is the nearest airport to Sivaganga district, where the temple lies.

• By train

  The district's prominent railway junctions are Manamadurai, Karaikudi and Madurai.

• By road

  NH 36 passes through Tirupathur and Sivaganga. The temple lies on the Tirupathur to Sivaganga road, 9 km from Tirupathur.

Why devotees come here

Sowmya Narayana Perumal Temple stands at Thirukoshtiyur in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples praised in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Its main shrine has Vishnu reclining on a snake bed, and its vimana rises above the gopuram.

Ramanuja is said to have taught the ashtakshara mantra, Om Namo Narayana, to all people here, whatever their varna. Legend says Vishnu appeared to the devas as Narasimha, the avatar who slew the asura king. The name Thirukoshtiyur is linked to a legend too: Vishnu showed his form after the devas' hardship.

The temple is mentioned in 18th and 19th century works, among them the 108 Tirupathi Anthathi by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar. Its rajagopuram has five tiers. The Ashtanga Vimana, about 25 m high, rises above the gopuram, which is unusual in Dravidian temples. The central shrine holds Uragamellayan Perumal, reclining on a snake bed similar to the one at Srirangam. Two life-size images of Narasimha are housed in the temple, one shown slaying Hiranyakshipu.

Festivals

• Masi month, February or MarchFloat festival

  Celebrated in the Tamil month of Masi.

• Margali month, December or JanuaryVaikunta Ekadasi

  Among the most prominent festivals of the temple.

Tips for your visit

• Look for the two life-size Narasimha images in the temple, one of which shows him slaying Hiranyakshipu.
• Look at the Ashtanga Vimana, which stands taller than the gopuram, and the five-tiered gopuram beside it.

Questions people ask