History Of Nachiyar Kovil
Introduction
#Nachiyar Kovil, Eighth century temple built by the #Medieval Cholas stands Between the busy roads in the capital city of the #Chola Dynasty, Woraiyur, which is the #Tiruchirappalli City, Tamil Nadu. This is one of the 108 Divya Desams which are the sacred places to be worshipped atleast once by every Vaishnavaite in his life time. In the temple There are collection of Four Thousand poems, all glorifying the mercy of Lord Vishnu. Nachiyar Kovil is worth a visit to this 1200 years old temple. It stands as a testimony for the architectural elegance of the Medieval Tamil Nadu. This is must be included place South Indian Tour Packages.
History
The Chola King named Nandha Cholan. Though he had everything in his life, he was not blessed with a baby For his throne. So he prayed to #Lord Vishnu with please. His devote to god and prayer one day Lord Vishnu appeared in his dream. He gave a girl child to the couple and also promised him that He will marry that girl at her right age. As per the God’s ,the King found a little princess on a Lotus flower. He was busy hunting in a forest. she was named as #Kamalavalli which means Lotus.
Nandha Cholan dream came true and he seems happiest king. After years she grew with all charm and beauty and became Princess of the country. She fell in love with Lord Renganatha Swamy, who has an abode at Srirangam, when she was the suitable age. The marriage of the King’s daughter to Lord Renganathasamy was celebrated till today as the “Serthi Sevai Festival” because of the extravagant arrangements the King made. The King erected this shrine to honour his daughter’s marriage. The temple’s name, “Azhagiya Manavala Perumal,” derives from the fact that the Lord appears as a very attractive bridegroom.
Architecture
The Architecture of the Nachiyar Kovil is planned in Dravidian Style and is said to exist from the Eighth Century. The deity Azhagiya Manavala Perumal, who is in charge, is seated. One of the twelve saints honoured by Vaishnavism, Nammalvar, is depicted in a beautiful picture that can be found outside the sanctum. During the middle of the 1800s, the temple was revitalised with stunning murals. You can admire the lovely murals depicting the Alwars and the various manifestations of Lord Vishnu as you walk around the sanctuary.
Also depicted in art are the dharma and justice laws promulgated by Ikshavahu King Ambareesha. A few significant Garuda Purana passages have also been depicted in pictures on the temple walls. Hinduism’s Garuda Purana is a holy text that primarily honours Lord Vishnu. It was written in the first century CE. It is reported to have once contained 19,000 verses. But so far, only 8000 verses have been found.
Myth Behind The Architecture
The main topic of discussion here is how people should live their lives. Hindu mythology holds that there is a penalty for even the smallest error made by man. Garuda Purana allusions can be noticed on the walls of Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Temple as lovely paintings. The Garuda Purana’s recommended punishments and the major errors that mankind has been making throughout history are shown in pictures on the walls.
One more interesting factor is that, the inscriptions on the expenses made by the authorities for building this temple. It is quite surprising to know that our forefathers have lived in a systematic manner in all aspects and the administration had been so transparent. The income-expenditure statements are found in the form of inscriptions around the sanctum which is visible even today.
Religious Significance
In the Nalaayira Dhivya Prabhandham, the presiding deity is exalted in a total of twenty-four hymns. This is one of the very few temples where the Goddess is given more prominence than the Lord. Kamalavalli Thayar is always granted the first rights in this place. During processions, both the Goddess and the Lord move forward with Her. The temple is known as “Nachiyar Koil” for this precise reason. Nachiyar is the family pet name for all female offspring in Vaishnavite families.
This temple is noteworthy for its most well-known religious observance, “Serthi Sevai.” This event is held every year during the Tamil month of Panguni on the day of the Thiru Ayilyam star.
The “Namperumal” statue from the Srirangam temple is moved to this temple. Where Namperumal and Kamalavalli thayar are seated in the Serthi Hall with exquisite ornamentation. During this event, special rites are carried out, and after the festivities are over, Namperumal is returned to the Srirangam Temple. Thousands of devotees from Nachiyar Koil and Srirangam attend the rites performed during this homecoming celebration.
Interesting Facts about Temple
At Nachiyar Kovil, an absurd and unbelievable occurrence occurs in the month of December. The Lord Garuda mount will be taken from the sannidhi and then out of the temple during this month. The statue is then carried around the Prakaram (circumference of the temple).
The unique feature of this idol [Statue] is that only 4 people initially lift the Lord Garuda mount out of its sannidhi; however, as the statue leaves its sannidhi, its weight increases twofold and 8 people are needed to lift it; as it moves further, 16 people are required to carry that mount; once again, it will become heavier if it moves further. Even though the science underlying it is yet unknown, it is fascinating. Lastly, after the mount is captured
Finally, when the mount is taken outside the temple, its weight increases to extend that 128 people are required to carry the idol. At the same time, it is said that Garuda mount decreases in weight gradually as it gets nearer to the Sannidhi [main sanctum] and finally when he is back in the Sannidhi, again the weight reaches down to a level when only 4 people are required to carry him.
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Originally published at https://www.allcanpost.com on November 2, 2022.
