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Sri Thirunaraiyur Nambi Perumal Temple

Nachiar Kovil or Thirunarayur Nambi Temple in Thirunaraiyur, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi. It is 14th divya desam which is considered as one of the 108 divya desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Srinivasa Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Nachiyar.

Timings

7:00 AM to 12 and from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Entry Fee

No Entry Fee

  1. Nachiar Kovil or Thirunarayur Nambi Temple in Thirunaraiyur, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi. 
  2. It is 14th divya desam which is considered as one of the 108 divya desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Srinivasa Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Nachiyar. 
  3. It was constructed by the great Kochenkatchozhan who had constructed a large number of Mada Kovils ( temples on raised platforms where elephants cannot enter ).  
  4. All the temples constructed by him are Shiva Temples except this one.  
  5. This is the only Vishnu temple constructed by him.  
  6. According to local legends, he constructed this temple after tasting defeat in one of the wars and as advised by his gurus, constructed this temple, worshipped here and later won back his kingdom. 
  7. Another version says that as the King wanted to see Vaikuntam, with the permission of Shiva, he constructed this temple to please Vishnu and thereby gain entry into Vaikuntam.  
  8. His Shiva orientation is seen in this temple also- Yalis which are normally seen in Shiva temples, are seen here. Subsequent renovations and additions were done by the Vijayanagar kings.
  9. Here Nachiyar gains more prominence than even the Presiding Deity. 



PURANIC SIGNIFICANCE 1:


  1. One day Lord Vishnu split himself into five forms as Shankarshanan, Prathyumnan, Anirudhan, Purushothaman and Vasudevan and visited Saint Medhavi's Ashram as a guest.
  2. His students gave the guests a warm welcome and Vanjulavalli prepared a delicious meal for them. 
  3. After finishing their meal, all the five went to wash their hands. 
  4. When Vanjulavalli helped them by pouring water, suddenly Vasudevan caught her by hand and immediately she shouted for help.
  5. Hearing her cries, her father came running for rescue. 
  6. But before he could catch and curse Vasudevan, all the five guests disappeared to bring forth the original one (i.e.) Lord Vishnu. 
  7. Saint Medhavi was spellbound when Lord Vishnu asked his daughter's hand for marriage.
  8. Happily, Saint Medhavi accepted for marriage. 


But before that he asked 3 Boons from Lord Vishnu

1. He should attain life beyond birth and death (i.e.) he should attain eternity.

2. All the living beings in Naraiyur which gave the Lord food and wife, should also attain salvation and

3. His daughter should be given first place in all the aspects.

Hence from that day, this place is called as Naachiyar kovil, temple of Lord Vishnu's wife.


PURANIC SIGNIFICANCE 2:


  1. Garuda, the vehicle of the lord, is of special significance at this temple. 
  2. The story goes that a sculptor who was creating an image of Garuda suddenly found the archa vigraham flying after he had made its wings. 
  3. Shocked at this sudden action, the sculptor threw a stone at Garuda and struck him on the nose. 
  4. Garuda came down and decided to settle here at this place and bless the devotees.   
  5. A huge and well built Lord Garuda is seen just next to Lord Srinivasa’s Sannidhi. 


PURANIC SIGNIFICANCE 3:


  1. Thirumangai Azhwar, formerly Neelan the chieftain, spent all his wealth in the service of Lord Perumal. As he was not a Vaishnava, nobody recognized his bhakti and services. S
  2. ad Azhwar came to this place and begged Perumal to acknowledge him as his devotee. Pleased with Azhwar, Perumal placed the Vaishnava Mudras-symbols of discus and conch on both his hands. 
  3. Mudraganam is a ceremony of accepting one in the Vaishnava group by placing the symbols of Discuss and Conch in hands. 
  4. As Lord came to this place as an Acharya-teacher, He appeared with two hands. The discus and the conch are on the reverse with the front Mudraganam style.  
  5. As a token of his gratitude to Perumal, Thirumangai Azhwar sung over 100 verses praising the Lord and named him Nambi. 
  6. Nambi in Tamil means a person of flawless traits. 
  7. This is the only Divyadesa where Perumal came as a Guru and offered Mudradanam to a devotee.


PURANIC SIGNIFICANCE 4:


Another local legend surrounding the temple’s establishment involves King Kochengat Cholan, who was defeated in battle and advised to seek the blessings of Vishnu. It is said that the king subsequently built the Nachiyar Kovil Temple as a gesture of gratitude to the deity for his victory.


ADMINISTRATION HISTORY:


The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Do's and Don'ts

  1. Do pray your Ishta Devata before pilgrimage to the Temple.
  2. Do contact Temple Devasthanam information centre for enquiry, temple information and for Pooja details etc.
  3. Do reserve your travel and accommodation at Temple well in advance.
  4. Take a bath and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
  5. Do concentrate on God and Goddess inside the temple.
  6. Do maintain silence and recite your Ishta Mantra to yourself inside the temple.
  7. Do respect religious sentiments at Temple.
  8. Do deposit your offerings in the hundi only.


  1. Do not come to Temple for any purpose other than worshipping God and Goddess.
  2. Do not smoke at Temple.Do not consume alcoholic drinks at Temple.
  3. Do not eat non-vegetarian food in the Kshetram.
  4. Do not approach mediators for quick Darshan. It may cause inconvenience to others.
  5. Do not carry any weapon inside the temple.
  6. Do not wear any head guards like helmets, caps, turbans and hats inside the temple premises.
  7. Do not perform Sastanga Pranama inside the Sanctum Sanctorum.
  8. Do not take much time while performing Sparsa Darshanam to God in Garbhagriha.
  9. Do not buy spurious prasadams from street vendors.
  10. Do not encourage beggars at Temple.
  11. Do not spit or create nuisance in the premises of the temple.


Dress Code

Male devotees have been advised to wear dhoti, shirt, pyjama or pant and shirt while women and girls should wear saree or churidar or 'pavadai' with half-sari. Devotees wearing lungi, bermudas, jeans and tight-leggings would not be allowed.


How to reach

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BEST TIME TO VISIT THE TEMPLE:



The best season to visit this temple is the Winter season. The best months to visit are September to March.


By Air:

The nearest airport is the Trichy International airport, which is approximately 100 kilometres away from the temple. From there, you can take a road transport such as a taxi, bus or private car to reach the temple.

By Rail:

Kumbakonam town is well connected by numerous trains, and the railway station is approximately 10 kilometres away from the temple. You can take a taxi, auto-rickshaw or bus from the railway station to reach the temple.

By Road:

The temple is easily accessible by road, and there are frequent bus services, private taxis and autos available from Kumbakonam and other nearby places.

Nearby Cities and Rivers

Rivers Near Nachiyar Kovil Temple:



Cauvery River: The Cauvery River is the most prominent river near Thirunaraiyur. It is one of the major rivers in South India, flowing through Tamil Nadu and serving as a lifeline for agriculture and daily life in the region.



Arasalar River: A tributary of the Cauvery River, the Arasalar River flows near the Nachiyar Kovil Temple and plays a significant role in the local ecosystem.




Cities Near Nachiyar Kovil Temple:



  1. Kumbakonam: Located about 10 kilometres from Thirunaraiyur, Kumbakonam is a well-known temple town in Tamil Nadu, famous for its rich cultural heritage and numerous temples, including the Mahamaham festival.
  2. Thanjavur: Approximately 35 kilometres from Thirunaraiyur, Thanjavur is a historically significant city, known for its temples, particularly the Brihadeeswarar Temple, and its contributions to art, culture, and architecture.
  3. Mayiladuthurai: Around 30 kilometres from Thirunaraiyur, Mayiladuthurai is another town known for its temples and its proximity to the Cauvery River.