Sunday, July 3, 2016

Sri Vaikuntanathan Perumal Temple (Kallapiran Temple), Srivaikundam, Thoothukudi – Religious Significance

Sri Vaikuntanathan Perumal Temple (Kallapiran Temple), Srivaikundam, Thoothukudi – Religious Significance
Brahmanda Purana is one of the eighteen sacred texts of Hinduism & written by Veda Vyasa contains a chapter called Navathiruppathi Mahatmiyam. The first part of the chapter refers to Srivaikundam. Vaikunta Mahatmiyam is another work in Sanskrit that glorifies the temple and is a part of Thamiraparani Sthalapuranam available only in palm manuscripts. The 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. The temple is next only to Alwarthirunagari Temple in terms of importance among the nine Navathiruppathi Temple. 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, Vaikuntha Pillai Tamil, Vaikuntanatha Thalattu, Vaikuntanatha Tiruppanimalai and Srivaikundam Ammanai.
Srivaikundam temple is also called Kailasapuram and has a Nataraja shrine with eight artistically carved pillars. Sun rays fall directly on the image on two days of the year - once during Uttarayana (April) and another during Dakshiyana (October), believed to be a token of worship. The roof over the sanctum is called Chandra vimana, where a stupa of gold is installed on the top. The temple also forms a series of Navagraha temples where each of the nine planetary deities of one of the temples of Navathiruppathi. The temple is associated with the planet Surya, the Sun god.
Nammazhwar is the only one to have sung praise of the Lord at the Nava Tirupathi temples. The Azhvaar refers to certain temples in great detail, surprisingly though; Nammazhwar only makes a passing mention of this temple in his Paasurams.

புளிங்குடி கிடந்தது வரகுணமங்கை இருந்து
வைகுந்த்துள் நின்று
தெளிந்த என் சிந்தை அகங்கழியாதே
என்னையாள்வாய் எனக்கருளி  Thiruvaimozhi.

எங்கள் கண் முகப்பே, உலகர்கள் எல்லாம்
இணை அடி தொழுது, எழுது, இறைஞ்சி
தங்கள் அன்பு ஆற, தமது சொல் வலத்தால்
தலைத்தலைச் சிறந்து பூசிப்ப
திரு வைகுந்ததுள்ளாய் தேவ

இங்கன் மா ஞாலத்து இதனுளும் ஒருநாள்
இருந்திடாய் வீற்று இடம்கொண்டே