Friday, April 28, 2017

Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple, Tirukannamangai – Religious Importance

Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple, Tirukannamangai – Religious Importance
Tirukannamangai is mentioned in Padma Purana, one of the 18 sacred scriptures of Hinduism. The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Thirumangai Alvar. The Azhwar has sung praise, imagining himself as a lady and Bhaktavatsala as his lover. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. Many Acharyas have also written songs on the various forms of Bhaktavatsala in this Temple. 
Thirukkanna Mankaiyantan, the disciple of Nathamuni was born here during the 10th century. Thivyakavi Pillai Peruman has revered the presiding deity in his works of Notriyettu Tirupathi Kovai and Paravai Ramanujar in his works of Notriyettu Tirupathi Thirupugazh. One of the three Sangeetha Mummoorthy, namely Muthuswami Dikshitar, has sung praise of the deity in his verses.
This temple is one of the Panchakanna (Krishnaranya) Kshetrams. Kannan refers to Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu, while Pancha means five and Kshetrams refers to holy places. Four of the five temples are situated in Chola Nadu, in modern times, in the region surrounding Kumbakonam and Nagapattinam and one of them in Nadu Naadu. Krishna is not the presiding deity in any of the temples. The processional deity, Krishna, led to the derivation of the names of these places. There are five similar temples located in North India, called Pancha-dvarakas.
Pancha Kannan Temples
Loganatha Perumal Temple
Thirukannangudi
Gajendra Varadha Temple
Kabisthalam
Neelamegha Perumal Temple
Thirukannapuram
Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple
Thirukannamangai
Ulagalantha Perumal Temple
Thirukkovilur