हिंदीOn this day
Standing

Devadirajan (Amaruviappan) Temple, Thiruvazhundur (Therazhundur)

The village where a king’s flying chariot sank to the ground, and where Krishna is the cowherd lord surrounded by his cattle. Kamban, poet of the Tamil Ramayana, was born here.

Built: Sung by Thirumangai Alvar in forty-five pasurams; Chola-country templeWhere: Tamil Nadu (Mayiladuthurai district)Deity: Bhagwan Vishnu as Devadirajan, standing with Garuda and Prahlada; festival image Amaruviappan with cattle; Sengamalavalli Thayar11.05° N, 79.58° E
  1. Alvar period
Photo: Ssriram mt · CC BY-SA 4.0

01The sunken chariot

Uparichara Vasu had a boon from Brahma that let his chariot fly. Passing over this place, where Maharshi Agastya sat in tapas, the chariot was halted above the sage, came down and sank into the earth: ther azhundha oor, the village where the chariot sank. Another katha is from the Bhagavata. Brahma hid the calves and cowherd boys of Vrindavan to test Krishna, and Krishna became every one of them for a year; ashamed, Brahma begged forgiveness and asked the Lord to dwell here among his cattle. So the festival image is Amaruviappan, the lord with the cows, and the cattle stand with him in the sanctum. Kaveri, too, worshipped here to be freed of Agastya’s curse.

02Kamban’s village

Thirumangai Alvar sings of Thiruvazhundur in forty-five pasurams, among the most he gave any temple, and praises Sengamalavalli Thayar’s grace. Nathamuni, Thirukkachi Nambi, Ramanuja and Manavala Mamunigal are remembered in the temple’s tradition. The great Tamil poet Kamban, who sang the Ramayana as the Ramavataram, was born in Therazhundur, and the village keeps a memorial to him. The Perumal is a figure of rakshakatvam, the Lord who protects those who take refuge in him, and Prahlada, comforted here after Narasimha’s fury, stands beside him.

The life of this place

  1. Alvar periodThirumangai Alvar sings forty-five pasurams on Thiruvazhundur.
Visiting

At Therazhundur, about 10 km from Mayiladuthurai on the Kumbakonam road via Kuthalam. See the Kamban memorial in the village.

Nearby

Vedapureeswarar Temple, Tiruvazhundur (Therazhundur)Standing
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Vedapureeswarar Temple, Tiruvazhundur (Therazhundur)

The Shiva temple of the village where a chariot sank before Agastya, across the street from the Divya Desam of Amaruviappan. Sambandar sang it.

Ukthavedeeswarar Temple, Tiruthuruthi (Kuthalam)Standing
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Ukthavedeeswarar Temple, Tiruthuruthi (Kuthalam)

The island shrine of the Kaveri where Shiva wed Parvati exactly as He had promised, and where Sundarar bathed and was made whole. All three Tevaram singers sang it.

Kalyanasundareswarar Temple, TiruvelvikudiStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Kalyanasundareswarar Temple, Tiruvelvikudi

Where the velvi, the sacred fire rites before the wedding of Shiva and Parvati, were performed. Sambandar and Sundarar sang it, and Chola queens and kings endowed it.

Masilamaninathar (Gomukteeswarar) Temple, TiruvavaduthuraiStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Masilamaninathar (Gomukteeswarar) Temple, Tiruvavaduthurai

Where Tirumular, author of the Tirumandiram, sat in tapas, and where Sambandar received a purse of gold for his father’s yajna. All three Tevaram singers sang it, and the great Adheenam has its seat inside.