Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Aadinatha Perumal	Ambal / Thayar:	Aadinaathanayaki, Tirukurukkoor Nayaki
Deity:	Perumal	Historical name:	Tirukkurugur
Vriksham:	Puli	Teertham:	Brahma Teertham, Tambraparani
Agamam:		Age (years):	1000-2000
Timing:	7.30 to 12 & 5 to 8	Parikaram:
Temple group:	Divya Desam	–
Sung by:		Temple set: Nava Tirupati
Navagraham:	Guru	Nakshatram:
City / town:	Azhvartirunagari	District:	Thoothukudi
Maps from (click):	Current location	Tirunelveli (36 km)	Thoothukudi (40 km)
	Kanyakumari (89 km)	Nagercoil (90 km)

Location

Alwartirunagari is located 26km from Tirunelveli and 6 km from Srivaikundam

Sthala puranam and temple information

This is fifth of the Nava Tirupati sthalams and is dedicated to Guru. This is the birthplace of Nammazhvar who is considered a reincarnation of Vishnu.

Rama was nearing the end of his reincarnation and three days before that realizing the end he told Lakshmana not to allow anyone to disturb him. Sage Durvasa at this time came to see Lord Rama, and scared of his wrath, Lakshmana allowed him to see Rama. As he was disturbed, Rama became angry and cursed Lakshmana to be born as a tamarind tree. When Lakshmana cried and sought pardon, Rama told him that he himself will have to suffer a curse for 16 years for having deserted Sita and that he himself would sit in the hole in the tree.

Sage Kashyapa and his wife were born as Kaari, came to this place praying for a child, and begot a son, Maran. When the baby grew up, it crawled into the tamarind tree hole and stayed there motionless for 16 years. Though the child was sitting inside the tree it had normal human growth. After 16 years the child now grown up started reciting Vedas in Tamil. He sang the mangalasasanam of all the deities of Divya Desams and it is believed the deities used to come and stay on the branches of the tree to listen to the songs.

Madhurakaviazhvar who was born in the nearby Thirukolur saw a bright light from the hole in the tree, and noticed Nammazhvar there. Immediately he took him as his guru and composed 11 songs on his guru.

Once the high priests of Kurukur lost their eyesight for cursing Dhantan, a low caste boy. They did not allow him to pray in the temple. (This boy was a brahmin boy in his earlier life and got cursed to be born in low caste for insulting Vedas.) He made a sand image of the Lord and was praying near the banks of the river. The priests who had lost their eyesight went and prayed to Vishnu who guided them to go to Dhantan. When they came near him, they got their eyesight back. This was the play of the Lord to prove that he has no difference among his devotees.

Shankan, a devotee who wanted to rule one of the eight directions, was advised by Sage Narada to become a conch and pray to Vishnu for 1000 years to achieve his goal and attain moksha. Shankan was living as a conch when a whale tried to swallow him. He prayed to Vishnu to save him. Just then a man appeared and swallowed the whale. At the end of the 1000 years Vishnu appeared on Garuda and gave moksha to Shankan.

This is also the sthalam where Vishnu showed his Varaha avataram to some sages.

The lord here is a swayambu murti and the 5000-year-old tamarind tree is still there.

As the Lord himself depicts the planets, there are no Navagraha shrines in any of these temples. Devotees come and pray here for relief from navagraha dosham.

The Garuda Sevai utsavam in the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May-June) is a sight to be seen! The utsava murtis from all the 9 Nava Tirupati temples are brought on their respective Garuda vahanams. Nammazhvar also comes on an Anna Vahanam (swan shaped vehicle), and his pasurams for each of the nine temples are recited. Then the murti of Nammazhvar is taken through the paddy fields in the area surrounding the temple.

Other information for your visit

In the Tamil month of Margazhi (December-January), these temples open relatively early (some even at 5 or 5.30 am), and close by 11. Some others are open till 1 or 2 pm.

We visited temples in the following order, which enabled us to complete all these temples (plus 4 Nava Kailasam temples) between 5.30 am and 2 pm, in the month of Margazhi starting at Tirunelveli: Srivaikuntam, Alwartirunagari, Tirukolur, Thenthirupperai, Perunkulam, Tholaivillimangalam (2 temples), Tirupuliangudi and Natham (Tiruvaragunamangai). Our trip was not rushed at all, and we had ample time at each of these temples.

Budget and mid-range accommodation is available at Tirunelveli. If coming down on the East Coast Road, then some limited options may also be available at Toothukudi (Tuticorin) and Tiruchendur.

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