CHENNAI: Nanguneri in Thirunelveli district is home to a wellknown temple for Vishnu, worshipped here as Thothadrinathan. This place is one of the Svayam Vyakta Kshetram where Vishnu is said to have self manifested, the others being in Srirangam, Tirupati, Srimushnam, Nanguneri, Badrinath, Naimisharanyam, Pushkaram and Salagramam. This temple is one among the one hundred and eight Divya Desams or sacred places praised in the Tamil verses of the Azhvars (important Vishnu devotees).
Nammazhvar has eulogised this deity in his hymns. Lord Thothadrinathan is seen in a seated posture under the outspread hoods of the divine serpent Adisesha. On either side are Goddesses Sridevi and Bhudevi. Inside the main sanctum there are many more images — two apasaras Urvashi and Thillotama, who hold the fly-whisks, Surya, Chandra, Brighu Maharishi and Markandeya Maharishi. The processional deity (utsava murti) is called Deivanayakan.
There are two sanctums for Goddess Lakshmi, who is worshipped here as Srivaramangai Thayar and as Thothadri Amman. A unique feature is that the deity is given a bath with oil (thaila kaapu) every day. The oil that is collected is poured into a deep well inside the temple and never goes bad. It is believed to have certain medicinal properties. Interestingly, there is no separate sanctum for Nammazhvar; his image is on the Shatari or the crown which is placed on the heads of devotees. The image of Vishvaksena (the leader of the army of Vishnu), is worshipped in most Vishnu temples with four hands.
Here, he has only two and holds the ethuthani (instrument to write) in one of them. Several inscriptions are seen in this temple. One mentions the name of this place as Srivaramanga Chatruvedimangalam. Another states that the right of fishing in the eri (tank) was granted by the temple authorities in return for cleaning the silt in the tank every year.
Nanguneri is situated about 35km from Tirunelveli town
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