Hemaranganathar Temple, Thiru Semponsei Koil (Thirunangur)

01Rama’s golden cow

After the war in Lanka, the temple katha says, Shri Rama came to this place, to the ashram of the sage Dridhanetra, and as an act of dana he had a cow made of gold and gave it to a brahmin of the ashram. The brahmin spent the gold on a temple for the Lord, and so it is Semponsei Koil, the temple made of red gold, and the festival Perumal is Hemaranganathar, the golden Ranganatha. Another katha says Azhagiya Manavalan of Uraiyur came here at Shiva’s request when the eleven forms were taken at Nangur.

02The temple

Thirumangai Alvar sings of Semponsei Koil in a decad of ten pasurams. The temple is small: the Perumal, Perarulalan, the Lord of great grace, stands facing east, and the panchaloha festival image of Hemaranganathar and Allimamalar Nachiyar are in the same sanctum. Garuda’s shrine is near the altar on the axis of the main shrine, and a hall before the sanctum keeps the other festival images. At Thai Amavasai this Perumal goes out on Garuda with the other ten of Thirunangur.

The life of this place