Devapiran Temple, (Irattai Tirupati Temple),
Tholavillimangalam, Thoothukudi – Religious Significance
Brahmanda
Purana, is one of the eighteen sacred texts of Hinduism and
written by Veda Vyasa contains a chapter called Navathiruppathi Mahatmiyam
that describes all the nine temples of Navathiruppathi. The Devapiran temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Nammazhwar. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in
the book.
The
temple is also classified as a Navathiruppathi, the nine temples revered by Nammazhwar located in the
banks of Thamiraparani River. Nammazhwar makes a reference about the
temple in his works in Thiruvaimozhi. During the 18th and 19th centuries,
the temple finds mention in several works like 108 Tirupathi Anthathi by
Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar.
The
temple also forms a series of Navagraha temples where each of the nine
planetary deities is associated with one of the Navathiruppathi temples. The
temple is associated with Ketu, a snake planet. Along with the Aravindalochanar temple located 100 yards away, the temple is referred as
Irattai Thirupathy (meaning twin Tirupathis).