CHENNAI : Thirukkolur, situated on the south bank of River Tamraparani (Porunai) in Thoothukudi District, is well-known for its Vishnu temple dedicated to Vaithamanidhi Perumal which is one of the Divya Desams or sacred places praised in the Tamil verses of the Azhvars or the twelve important devotees of Vishnu. Nammazhvar has sung twelve verses (pasuram) praising Perumal here. Thirukkolur is also revered as the Avatara sthalam (birthplace) of Madhurakavi Azhvar.
The main deity is worshipped as Nikshepavitha, a Samskrit name. The word nikshepa means deposited and vitha is wealth. The same name in Tamil is Vaithamanidhi. It is said that Kubera, the deity of wealth, once lost his nine kinds of treasures (Nava Nidhis) due to a curse.
The Nava Nidhis then went to earth and reached Thirukkolur seeking the protection of Vishnu who at once agreed to protect them. He is therefore called Vaithamanidhi (protector of Nidhis). The deity is seen reclining on serpent Adisesha with the head resting on an unit of measurement called marakkal. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as Kolurvalli Nachiyar and also as Kumudavalli Nachiyar. This temple is one of the Navagraha Sthalams for Chevvai (Angarakan) or Mars.
Once, Ramanujacharya, the famous Srivaishnava preceptor, on his way to Thirukkolur, met a lady and asked her where she was coming from. She replied that she was coming from Thirukkolur. Ramanujacharya asked her why she was doing this, when everyone was yearning to go to Thirukkolur. In turn, she answered with a set of eighty questions quoting incidents from the lives of devotees and deities and said that in no way could she be compared to them and hence not fit to live in this town. These questions are found in a literary work called Thirukollur Pen Pillai Rahasyam written by Thiruvaymozhi Pillai, a student of a Srivaishnava preceptor named Pillai Lokacharya.
Vimanam
Above the main sanctum is the superstructure called Srikara Vimanam
Inscriptions
Inscriptions of the Pandyas and Cholas, mostly recording donations to the temple have been found here.
Sacred tank
The holy tank of this temple is called Kubera Tirtham