Vaikundanathar Temple Srivaikuntam

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest air services are at Thoothukudi, 24.6 km away.

• By train

  Srivaikuntam has its own railway station.

• By road

  Buses run to Srivaikuntam from Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tiruchendur and Thoothukudi. The town is 30 km east of Tirunelveli and 30 km west of Tiruchendur.

Why devotees come here

Srivaikuntam is a town in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. Its Vishnu temple is one of the Nava Tirupati and one of the 108 Divya Desams. The sanctum shows Vishnu standing with a club in his hand.

Vishnu is worshipped here as Srivaikuntanathan, also called Tiruvaikuntapati. The temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, and one of the Navagraha temples in Vaishnavism, linked to Surya, the sun. It is also one of the Nava Tirupati, a group of Vishnu temples that lie close together in Thoothukudi district.

A regional legend says the asura Somukasura defeated Brahma and stole the four Vedas from him. Another story tells of a cow that bathed the buried image every day during the Pandyan era, which is why the presiding deity is called Pal Pandian. The king realised the cow would lead him to the deity, and he dug up the area around it. He reinstated the image and expanded the temple. The deity is also called Kallapiran, for the help given to a thief who prayed to Vishnu in trouble.

In 1801 the temple served as a fort for the British against the forces of Veerapandiya Kattabomman. Six inscriptions in the temple have been deciphered by the Archaeological Department. The temple occupies five acres inside a granite wall 580 ft long, and it has a lofty gopuram. The Thiruvengadamudayan hall, to the right of the gopuram, has life-size sculptures from the 16th century.

Festivals

• Between December and JanuaryVaikunta Ekadashi

  The Ekadasi Mandapam, which holds sculptures, is opened on Vaikunta Ekadasi days.

• Chittirai (April to May)Brahmotsavam

  A ten-day annual festival.

• Vaikasi (May to June)Garuda Sevai

  Festival idols from the Navatirupathi shrines in the area are carried on Garuda vahana, the sacred vehicle.

• YearlyFloat festival

  Held in the large temple tank near the Tamiraparani river.

Tips for your visit

• The other Nava Tirupati temples lie close by in Thoothukudi district, so one trip can take in several.
• Look for the life-size sculptures in the Thiruvengadamudayan hall on the right of the gopuram.
• Plan a visit around Vaikunta Ekadasi if you want to see the Ekadasi Mandapam open.

Questions people ask