Srivilliputhur Andal Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Madurai International Airport (IXM) is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Madurai Junction (MDU) is the nearest railway station.

• By road

  The temple is about 80 km from Madurai.

Why devotees come here

Srivilliputhur Andal Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples. It stands in Srivilliputhur town in Virudhunagar district. It is the birthplace of two Alvar saints, Periyalvar and Andal, the only female Alvar.

Vishnu is worshipped here as Vatapatrasayi, and his consort Lakshmi as Andal. Legend says Periyalvar found a girl child under a tulasi plant in a garden inside the temple. Periyalvar was Andal's foster father, and he became Ranganatha's father-in-law. Legend also says Vishnu asked Periyalvar, in a dream, to offer him only the garland Andal had worn. It is also believed that Ranganatha of Srirangam married Andal, who later merged with the idol.

Inscriptions from Chola, Pandya and Vijayanagar Nayak kings span the 10th to 16th centuries. Vijayanagar kings built the Rajagopuram in the 15th century. The city became very popular during the reigns of Thirumalai Nayak (1623 to 1659) and Rani Mangammal (1689 to 1706). The temple's samprokshanam ritual was performed on 20 January 2016 by the Tamil Nadu government.

Vijayanagar and Nayak kings commissioned paintings on the shrine walls, and some are still there. A granite wall encloses all the shrines, Andal's birthplace garden and two of the three water bodies. The once massive temple car, about 40 metres long, now awaits revival.

Festivals

• July to August, in the Tamil month of AdiAadi Pooram

  Andal's birthday and the most prominent festival. Ranganatha and Andal are carried in decorated palanquins, drawing thousands of devotees.

Tips for your visit

• Fridays and Saturdays are considered particularly auspicious days for a visit.
• Some Vijayanagar and Nayak wall paintings are still on the shrine walls.

Questions people ask