5cc55e.png)
- Appan Venkatachalapathy Temple is dedicated to God Vishnu located at Cheranmahadevi in Tirunelveli District of Tamilnadu.
- The temple is said to be more than 1500 years old.
- The Temple is located at about 1 km North of Ramaswamy temple on the CheranMahaDevi – Kallur- Tirunelveli route.
- This Temple was recently renovated after having remained closed for almost 50 years.
- It is believed to be built during the Vijayanagara dynasty. It has inscriptions in Tamil as well as Sanskrit on its wall.
- The Lord Venkatachalapathy who adorns the temple is worshipped as equivalent to that of Lord Balaji of Tirupati.
- The Temple is situated amidst picturesque paddy fields and banana plantations. Appan Venkatachalapathy Temple offers peace and tranquillity to worshipers.
- River Thamirabarani flows within a km from the temple.
- The Presiding Deity is called as Appan Venkatachalapathy facing east in Standing Posture.
- Thayar of this Temple are Alarmel Mangai and Padmavathy Thaayar. Utsavar is Srinivasan.
- The Lord Venkatachalapathy who adorns the temple is worshipped as equivalent to that of Lord Balaji of Tirupati.
The Story- Milagu Rasam special at this temple:
The story goes that a Cheran king, who could not find a solution from the doctor, for his daughter’s stomach pain approached an astrologer who asked him to build a Chatram as well as a Venkatachalapathy temple on the banks of Tamarai Barani.
He was also asked to give ‘Milagu Rasam’ to his daughter. To his surprise, his daughter recovered.
Hence, Milagu Rasam is special at this temple and this place was referred to as Kanndiyen Chatram.
Garland for the Lord:
Also, during the rule of Sundara Pandya Deva, there was a gift of money by Virasinga Deva for providing Garland of flowers in the Cheran Narayanan Nandavanam in return for some prasadam from the temple.
There was also an agreement given by the temple authorities to Pillai Vijayarayan for the 8 Achchu given by him for maintaining the flower garden and supplying garlands to the temple.
40 Kalam of Paddy for Services to the Appan Temple:
During the rule of Vira Pandya II records an agreement deed given to Sriranganatha Bhattar by the Pandarikal Sri Vaishnavas and Nambiman of the Appan temple of Cheran Maha Devi Chadurvedi Mangalam. As per this deed, the latter agreed to measure out 40 Kalam of Paddy to the temple for certain services in lieu of interest on a sum of 20 Achchus as they were in arrears to the temple.
Kulasekharan Sandhi:
Maravarman Pandya who reigned Malai Nadu, Chola and Kongu Kingdom, Ilam and Thondai Mandalam registered the remission of all kinds of taxes by assembly of Cheran Maha Devi Chadurvedi Mangalam on certain lands in Idaikal for conducting service called ‘Kulasekharan Sandhi’ instituted in the Appan temple by Veenaadudaiyan.
Recognizing the work of Smith:
In an interesting recognition, Kulasekhara Deva records a gift of an annuity of Paddy and a portion of the ‘deity offered food’ to the Smith Cherai Mangai Silpasari for doing stone work in the Appan temple.
Feeding Sannyasins and maintaining a Teacher for the Paatshaala:
On the wall of the South Verandah in the first prakara of the Appan temple contains yet another inscription in Tamil that provides interesting insights about the functioning of the temple in the 13th Century AD.
As per the request of Malavaraayan, Sundara Pandya II promised to make a gift of a tax free land at Karungulam, in the Eastern Hamlet of Cheran Maha Devi Chaturvedi Mangalam for benefit of a service instituted in the name of Nakkan Irattai ( Thondai Maanaar) for feeding every day 17 persons including Tridanda Sannyasins and for maintaining a teacher for the Sastras in the mud called Mudvalangum Perumal Mutt at the temple.
