thiruveLLaRai

SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

History

One of the most important qualities of bhagavAn is puNdarikAkshathvam (having lotus eyes). This feature is one of the parama purusha lakshaNams (that which identify the supreme lord) similar to that sriya:pathithvam (being the husband of SrI mahAlakshmi), garuda vAhanathvam (riding the garuda), etc. In this dhivya dhEsam, emperumAn appears as puNdarikAkshan.

pankayaRchelvi thAyAr – puNdarikAksha perumAL

This dhivya dhEsam is also known as svEthagiri (white mountain). Legend says that, this dhivya dhEsam was built by sibhi chakravarthy (an emperor of raghu vamsam – the clan in which SrI rAma appears subsequently). sibi ventured out from ayOdhyA to kill rAvaNa. On the way, he stops at svEtha giri. Here by the divine will of bhagavAn, he is ordered not to pursue the mission to kill rAvaNa. bhagavAn orders sibi to build a temple here and thus thiruveLLaRai temple is built. This temple pre-dates SrIrangam temple, as sibi is an ancestor of SrI rAma and SrIrangam temple was built during the times of SrI rAma by vibhIshaNAzhwAn.

There is great importance for pankayaRchelvi thAyAr (srI mahAlakshmi) in this dhivya dhEsam.

periyAzhwAr and thirumangai AzhwAr have performed mangaLAsAsanam for this emperumAn. periyAzhwAr assumes a motherly bhAvam and performs mangaLAsAsanam for emperumAn treating him as kaNNan in 10 pAsurams.  thirumangai AzhwAr enjoys different avathArams of emperumAn in this dhivya dhEsa padhigam (decad) in his periya thirumozhi.

This dhivya dhEsam is also where great AchAryas like uyyakkoNdAr and engaLAzhwAn took birth.

Descendants of engaLAzhwAn (also known as ammAL AchArya – AchArya of nadAthUr ammAL) is the sthala AchArya purusha and their thirumALigai (residence) is present in this dhivya dhEsam.

Deities/uthsavams

First, inside the temple:

  • Presiding deity
    • mUlavar – puNdarIkAkshan (kaNNan)

  • uthsavar – senthAmarai kaNNan, pankayaRchelvi thAyAr.

Outside the temple:

  • thiruveLLaRai ammAL AchAryan (descendant of engaLAzhwAn) thirumALigai

uthsavams

  • chithrai
    • perumAL and thAyAr kOdai uthsavam
    • emperumAnAr  – thiruvAdhirai
  • vaikAsi
    • perumAL vasantha uthsavam 7 days
    • nammAzhwAr – visAgam
    • pUchchAththu uthsavam 9 days
  • Adi
    • jEshtAbishEkam
    • dhakshiNAyaNa vAsal (gate) thiRappu (opening)
  • AvaNi
    • SrI jayanthi – rOhiNi/ashtami followed by uriyadi uthsavam on the next day
    • pavithrOthsavam – 5 days starting with sukla EkAdhasi
  • purattAsi
    • navarAthri uthsavam – 9 days
    • vijaya dhasami
  • aippasi
    • maNavALa mAmunigaL – thirumUlam
    • dhIpAvaLi
  • kArthigai
    • kArthigai dhIpam
    • Unjal uthsavum
  • mArgazhi
    • dhanur/mArgazhi mAsam kramam
    • vaikuNta EkAdhasi
  • thai
    • sankarAnthi – uththarAyaNa vAsal (gate) thiRappu (opening)
    • kanu uthsavam
  • mAsi
  • panguni
    • brahmOthsavam

kramam (routine)/timings

Timings

  • 9am – 1pm
  • 3.45pm – 7.45pm

sEvAkAla kramam

  • Morning – thiruppallANdu/thiruppAvai
  • Evening
    • thiruppallANdu
    • periyAzhwAr thirumozhi – indhiranOdu piraman – 1.5.8 – sthala pAsuram, senniyOngu (last padhigam)
    • periya thirumozhi 5.3 – venRi mA mazhuvendhi – sthala pAsuram
    • thiruvAimozhi – ulagamuNda peruvAyA (6.10), kangulum pagalum (7.2), Azhiyezha (7.4)

puRappAdu kramam

  • EkAdhasi, amAvAsyai, mAsa pravEsam – puRappAdu maNdapam and thirumanjanam
  • Outside puRappAdu only during uthsavams

Thanks to SrInivAsan (SrIdhar) swamy (puththUr/thiruvallikkENi) who gathered this information from varthamAna ammAL AchAryan swamy.

mangaLAsAsanam

  • periyAzhwAr – periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 1.5.8 and 2.8

  • thirumangai AzhwAr
    • periya thirumozhi 5.3, 10.1.4
    • siRiya thirumadal and periya thirumadal

Contacts

puNdarikAksha perumAL dhEvasthAnam
thiruveLLaRai 621009

Contacts:

Near Trichy – can be reached by buses, taxis, autos from Trichy.