Makara Nedunkuzhaikathar Temple
The Makara Nedunkuḻaikathar Temple is one of the Nava Tirupathi, nine Hindu temples dedicated to Vishnu located Thenthiruperai along Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamil Nadu, India in the southern bank of Thamiraparani river. It is located 5 km from Alvar Thirunagari All these 9 temples are classified as Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet saints, or Alvars. The temple is referred to as Sukra sthalam, a location for the planet deity, Sukra. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Makara Nedunkuḻaikathar and his consort Lakshmi as Tiruperai Nachiyar.
A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower, is flat in structure. The temple follows Thenkalai tradition of worship. Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the ten-day annual Vaikuntha Ekadashi during the Tamil month of Margaḻi and the Nammalvar birth celebrations with Garudasevai with all nine temple of Nava Tirupati, being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The same place hosts one of the Navakailasams, Sri Kailasanathar Temple, Then Thirupperai, the seventh in the series.
Legend
As per the temple's regional legend, once Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu was left alone as he went to earth and lived with Bhudevi. Lakshmi prayed to sage Durvasa to give her the beauty of Bhudevi. The sage went to meet Bhudevi, who was with Vishnu. She pretended not to have seen the sage. In his fury, the sage cursed Bhudevi to transfer her form to Lakshmi. Bhudevi pleaded with the sage to propitiate her off the curse. The sage asked her to pray to Vishnu on the banks of river Tamiraparani. On a new moon day, when she was performing the prayer in the river, she found a pair of earrings in the form of a fish. She offered it to Vishnu, who appeared before her. When Vishnu accepted the ear ring, Bhudevi got her original form. Since Bhudevi offered her the makara kundala, the earrings, the presiding deity came to be known as Makara Nedunkuḻaikathar, the one who attained the ear rings.Architecture
The temple is located in Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamil Nadu, India in the banks of Thamiraparani river, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple is constructed in Dravidian style of architecture. All the shrines of the temple are located in a rectangular granite walls, pierced by a three-tiered gopuram. The presiding deity is sported in a standing posture with Sridevi and Bhudevi on either of his sides. The images of Bhoodevi and Sridevi along with the festival images are located inside the sanctum. In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.Festival
The Garuda Sevai utsavam in the month of Vaikasi witnesses 9 Garudasevai, a spectacular event in which festival image idols from the Nava Tirupathis shrines in the area are brought on Garuda vahana. An idol of Nammalvar is also brought here on a Anna Vahanam and his paasurams dedicated to each of these 9 temples are recited. The utsavar of Nammalvar is taken in a palanquin to each of the 9 temples, through the paddy fields in the area. The pasurams dedicated to each of the 9 Divya Desams are chanted in the respective shrines. This is the most important of the festivals in this area, and it draws thousands of visitors.The temple follows the traditions of the Tenkalai sect of Vaishnavite tradition.