01The groom who left the ocean
When Lakshmi rose from the churned ocean, the temple katha says, she was too shy to look at Vishnu and came away to this forest to do tapas for him. He left the Ocean of Milk to marry her, and so the festival image is Perumpurakkadal, the one who came out of the great sea. The devas came to watch the wedding and stayed on as bees; a beehive at the Thayar’s shrine is worshipped to this day. The Darshana Pushkarini before the temple is said to have formed from the water of Brahma’s kamandalu. The place is a Saptamrita Kshetram, praised for seven things: vimanam, mandapam, forest, tank, kshetram, river and town.
02Sung as a lover
Thirumangai Alvar sings of Thirukkannamangai in fourteen pasurams, some in the voice of a girl longing for her beloved. Thirukkannamangai Andan, disciple of Nathamuni, was born here, and Muthuswami Dikshitar composed in praise of the Perumal. The temple is one of the Pancha Krishnaranya Kshetrams. It has three Chola inscriptions; the hall to the Thayar’s shrine has Nayaka pillars. Among its images is a rare one of the Buddha avatar. The Chittirai Brahmotsavam takes the Perumal round the four broad streets on a different vahana each day.
The life of this place
- Alvar periodThirumangai Alvar sings fourteen pasurams on Thirukkannamangai.
- Chola periodThree inscriptions record gifts to the temple.
About 7 km west of Tiruvarur on the Kumbakonam road. Go to the Thayar’s shrine and see the beehive.
