Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

Note: This temple deserves a more detailed write up, which is in progress. Below are only some of the key aspects of the temple’s history and puranam.

In the Vamana Avataram (we will not go deep into that here), Vamana asked King Mahabali for three steps of land, and then increased his size, thereby covering the heavens with one step and the earth with the second. At this temple, Vishnu is shown with His left leg up – about to conquer the earth – and asking Mahabali as to where to keep His third step. (In contrast, Trivikrama Perumal at Sirkazhi is seen with His left leg up.) Vishnu here is popularly called Ulagalanda Perumal (the one who measured the earth).

Sage Mrikandu wanted to witness the Viswaroopam of Vishnu, and sought guidance from Brahma, who advised the sage to perform penance on the banks of the Krishnabhadra river (now known as the Then Pennai river). The sage came to this place with his wife Mitravati, and performed penance, along with feeding the people. One day, to test the sage, Vishnu came as an old brahmin and requesting for food, and the sage asked his wife to serve the visitor. As it was late in the day, there was no food available, so Mitravati prayed to Vishnu that if her husband was virtuous, the vessel should be full of food. Due to the power of the sage’s penance, food immediately became available, and the brahmin was served. Then Vishnu provided a vision of his Viswaroopam to the couple.

Unusually, Durga (or Maya, Vishnu’s sister) appears next to the moolavar here.

Once, Poigaiazhvar visited the temple and them came to the ashram of Sage Mrikandu. The sage provided Azhvar a place which could accommodate one person. Later that day, Boothathazhvar also came there seeking a place for the night. The sage showed him the same place as earlier, indicating that it would accommodate two people sitting. Still later, Peyazhvar also arrived, and the same place was shown, where the three could now stand. Then, one more person came there without introduction, and squeezed himself amongst the three already in the space. As the azhvars wondered who it might be, Vishnu presented Himself, and gave all three of them salvation. This is their mukti sthalam.

The temple is also one of the Pancha Krishna Kshetrams (also called Krishna Aranya Kshetram or Krishna Mangala Kshetram), which are Tirukannamangai, Tirukannapuram, Kabisthalam, Tirukovilur and Tirukannangudi.

The temple is primarily a Chola temple, with later additions by the Vijayanagara Dynasty and Madurai Nayaks.

Other information for your visit

Nearby is the Veeratteswarar temple at Tirukovilur, which is a Paadal Petra Sthalam, and one of the ashta veerattanam temples celebrating the eight victories of Siva.

Contact

Phone: 94862 79990

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