Sri Sowriraja Perumal Temple Location
Sri Sowriraja Perumal, Thirukkannapuram divya desam is located just a little off the coast of the Bay of Bengal near Nagapattinam is a cluster of divya desams scattered around. Three of these small villages/ towns are what we will look into today.
Thirukkannapuram village is located 140 km east of Srirangam near (25 km north and west) the town of Nagapattinam.
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Sthalapuranam
Legend has it that the local temple priest was recycling garlands due to poverty. One day when the king visited, he found human hair in the garland. Angered by this, he questioned the priest who said it was the Lord’s hair. The next day when the king visited again, he found the Lord with plenty of hair hence the name Sowriraja (Sowri is wig or hair). In another legend, a local devotee offered Pongal at night to the Lord.
The temple was closed and the devotee, consequently, stood outside and made the offering. Suddenly bells could be heard from inside and the smell of hot ghee came wafting on the breeze signifying that the Lord had accepted the offering. To this day, Pongal is offered during night puja.
It is also said the Lord instructed Thirumangai alwar on Thirumandiram in this place. Hence the place is called ‘Maha Mandira Siddhi Kshetram‘. This is also one of the Panchakanna kshetrams.
Special features
The Lord here is called ‘Neelamegha Perumal’ or ‘Sowriraja Perumal’. The universal mother is called Kannapura Nayaki. The temple pond is called ‘Nithiya theertham’. Pongal is offered during the last puja of the day.
The main deity is in the Varada hastam pose just like Kanchi Varadaraja Perumal. He also holds the Prayoga chakram.
During Vaikasi brahmotsavam, the Lord gives Trimurthy darshan in a single day – as Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. Vibhishana is said to have prayed to see the Lord standing. The Lord asked him to come to this place.
Mangalasasanam
Interestingly this is the third most sung about sthalam (place) of the 108 with 128 songs. A majority of them, are by Thirumangai Alwar. Nammalwar in his Thiruvaimozhi (3665) simply states that the merest mention of the name of the lord of thirukkannapuram is enough to alleviate all sufferings.
What can I ask for beyond that? Kulasekhara Alwar in Perumal Thirumozhi (719 – 729) addresses the resident of Thirukannapuram as Raghava! As the son of Kausalya! And goes on to add that he is resting in this temple.
Perialwar in his Peria Thirumozhi (71) refers to this shrine as so eternal that it does not get destroyed even during pralaya. He identifies the Lord of this place as the one that Yasoda used to carry around on her waist.
