Sri Thirunaraiyur Nambi Temple
Thirunaraiyur or Thirunariyur or Natchiarkoil or Natchiyar Koil (temple) is located in Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. It has many unusual features associated with it such as Universal Mother having priority over the Lord and Kal Garudan.
Location
The village is located a dozen kilometers to the south and east of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. The area is rich in important temples of Vishnu. It is believed to have been constructed in the 3rd century with additions by later Cholas and Vijayanagar kings.
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Sthalapuranam
Medhavi Rishi prayed here to receive Lakshmi as his daughter. Consequently, Neela Devi was found by Medhavi below the maghizham tree, hence the name ‘Vanjulavalli’. The Lord came down in his Vyuha form and married her.
The Lord is known as ‘Thirunaraiyur Nambi’, Srinivasa, Vyuhavasudevan (as opposed to Paravasudevan in Srirangam), and Suganthavananathan. The Universal Mother is known as Vanjulavalli, Nambikkai Natchiyar. Both the moolavar and utsavar carry the same names.
Both the Lord and the Universal Mother give darshan in their Kalyana Thirukkolam. They both gave darshan to Medhavi Rishi, Brahma and other deities who came to attend the wedding. It is said that the Lord holds the conch and discus in the same manner in which he did Panchasamskara to Thirumangai Alwar. This is also where Alwar wrote ‘Siriya Thirumadal‘ and ‘Periya Thirumadal‘.
At one stage Sri Ranganatha of Srirangam asked Thirumangai Alwar for a madal in Srirangam also. Alwar replied that Madal was for Natchiyar Koil and Mathil was for Srirangam since he had already built the compound wall for the Srirangam temple.
Special Features
This temple is the object of praise of the fifth largest collection of (110) pasurams sung by one of the Alwars. In this shrine, the primacy is accorded to the Universal mother. Natchiyar has the first offering of all food items and then only the Lord receives it. To indicate this Natchiyar is a little bit ahead of the Lord in the sanctum. The Lord also holds the Sudarshana and Panchajanya slightly forward as if ready to do Panchasamskara.
This is where the Lord initiated Thirumangai Alwar into Panchasamskara to initiate him into Sri Vaishnavism. This was one of the demands by Kumudavalli to marry Thirumangai alwar. This is the only place where the Lord has initiated Panchasamskara for anyone. Kal Garuda feels heavier as one carries him further away from the shrine and lighter as one approaches the shrine. The Garuda seva with Kal Garuda as a vehicle for the Lord is very famous. Srirangam is known for Mahalakshmi.
Srivilliputtur is known for Bhumi Devi. Similarly, this shrine is known for Neela Devi. Besides Tiruvallikenni (in Chennai) this is the only other temple where the Vimana above the sanctum is shaped like a gopuram (tower).
Mangalasasanam
This temple is sung by Thirumangai Alwar primarily. When Kumudavalli made it a condition of the marriage that he should become a Srivaishnavaite, Alwar requested and received Panchasamskaram from the Lord at this temple. This can be seen even today at the sanctum.
Consequently, all the pasurams about this temple are by this Alwar only. All 110 pasurams fall into one of two categories. Some are in praise of the Archa avatar of the Lord at this temple. The rest are in the Nayaka–Nayaki bhava expressing his unending love for the Lord.
Either way, it is a running conversation where the Alwar keeps asking for salvation. The Lord liking the Alwar’s pasurams replies in such a way as to receive yet another pasuram from Alwar.
In Peria Thirumozhi, Thirumangai Alwar identifies this temple where one can worship the Lord who was born as Krishna and who destroyed Asuras. He asks the Lord for entry to Srivaikunta and the Lord says only after death. So Alwar immediately sang asking us to worship the Lord at Thirunaraiyur till we die. Alwar also points out that this is the place where the Lord rests.
This is the same Lord who churned the ocean to obtain nectar and eliminate the suffering of Devas, holding sudharshana in his right hand and Panchajanya in his left. He also identifies the Lord of Naraiyur as the one who came in Narasimha form to help Prahalada (who was born in an asura family) at the mere mention of the Lord’s name.
Alwar indicates that despite considering himself as Nayaki and the lord as Nayaka, the Lord has not showered his grace on him.
By writing the two Madal (Siriya Thirumadal and Periya Thirumadal) poems he threatens to make public the neglect by the Lord. Madal-Oorthal is an ancient custom of making public the neglect of a lover by the loved one. Only a small sample from the 110 pasurams are cited here.
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