Sri Koodal Azhagar Perumal Temple – Madurai
Sri Koodal Azhagar Perumal Temple is located in Madurai of Tamilnadu State.
Sri Koodal Azhagar is an
incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who is facing the east direction
Goddess Madhuravalli is
the consort of Koodal Azhagar facing the south.
It is one of the 108 Divyadesam
temples.
Koodal is another name for
Madurai and Azhaghar means the beautiful one, in Tamil. The temple is facing
East direction and built in Dravidian style of architecture has a giant gateway
tower, a five-tiered Raja gopuram that rises to a height of 125 Feet. The
temple and all its shrines are surrounded by granite walls. The coronation of
Lord Rama is depicted here with woodcarvings. Intricately woven and masterfully
sculpted, every wall in the temple has a story to tell. Inscriptions in the
temple describe the huge amount of gifts and donations this shrine used to
receive for various constructions during various rules. There is a mandapam
named as Ardha mandapa. The koneru named Hema pushkarini, Chakra theertham.
According to a legend,
Vishnuchitha who is considered to be the foremost among the twelve Alwars,
mystical saints, who used to praise Lord Vishnu's presence in the temple in their
poems. Vishnuchitha was known for quoting from Vedic texts and his arguments on
the sovereignty of Lord Narayana. Once he was invited to Madurai at the Pandya
king's court where he established the greatness of the lord through his convincing
arguments, after which a miracle happened which even made the king celebrate
his divine victory. During the victory procession which was led by the king
himself and many Vedic saints, Sri Koodal Alagar appeared and blessed
Vishnuchitha, who then sang Thirupallandu in the lord’s praise and offered
Mangala sasanam. Even today, Thirupallandu is chanted in the temples.
There are mentions of Koodal
Alagar in Brahmanda Purana in its seven chapters. It is also said that the
great King Prithu, Malaydioaja had worshipped Sri Koodal Alagar. As a result of
which, the lord blessed them with opulence along with the attainment of moksha. The
history of this temple can be traced back to the Sangam period. One can find
mention of Koodal Azhagar Koil in Paripadal and Silappadikaram. Many poets from the Sangam period have praised the presiding deity of this temple with the name of
Thuvarikoman and Koodal Alagar.
This temple was built during the 8th
century.
The
annual Great Chitra Festival is held on Pournami (a full moon day) throughout April and May. The Festival dramatizes the journey of Kallalagar
from Alagar Koyil to Madurai. Numerous thousands of followers come to the
Vaigai River to see Lord Alagar enter the water and receive his blessings.
The
festival of Aadi Brahmmorchavam is observed for ten days in July
and August. Within the boundaries of the temple, this event takes place. Many
devotees go from various regions of Tamil Nadu to participate in this event.
During Pournami (Full-Moon Day) of Aadi (Brahmotchavam), the temple chariot
"Amaiththa Narayanan" is carried in procession.
Temple Timings
6.00 am to 12.30 pm
3.30 pm to 8.00 pm
How to reach the Temple
700 mts from Madurai Bus
Station
1 km from Madurai Railway
Station
Nearby Temples
Madurai, Sri Meenakshi
Amman Temple – 1 km
Thiruparankundram, Sri Subramanya
Swamy Temple – 7 km
Otthakadai, Sri Yoga
Narasinga Perumal Temple – 12 km
Madurai, Sri Kallalagar Temple – 23 km.
Comments
Post a Comment