Srivilliputhur Andal

Srivilliputhur is a town in Virudhunagar district of Tamilnadu .

The famous Srivilliputhur Andal temple is one among the Pandiyanadu divyadeshams .

The Moolavar (main deity) is named Lord Rangamannar or Vadabhadrasayi and Thayar Goddess Andal .

Here the Lord is in sleeping posture . Both Periyalwar and Goddess Andal both has sung praising this Lord . This is the birthplace of Goddess Andal and Periyalwar.

As per mythological legend, the place was referred as Varaha Kshetra . It was a dense forest named Champaka where the sages Bhrigu and Markandeya were doing penance and had their hermitages in the place. A demon named Kalanerai was troubling the sages and they prayed to Lord Vishnu to relieve them from the demon . Lord Vishnu was pleased by their devotion and appeared in the place to slay the demon . He is believed to have taken the abode in the forest reclining on Adhisesha, his serpent bed, on the leaf of a banyan tree. The place thus came to be known as Vadaveshwarapuram and the Lord as Vadabhadrasayi .

Periyalvar (originally called Vishnuchitar) was an ardent devotee of Vishnu and he used to string garland to Vishnu every day . He was childless and he prayed to Vishnu to save him from the longing. One day, he found a girl child under a Tulsi plant in a garden inside the temple. He and his wife named the child as Kothai, who grew up as a devotee of Krishan, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. She is believed to have worn the garland before dedicating it to the presiding deity of the temple. Periyalvar, who later found it, was highly upset and remonstrated her. Lord Vishnu appeared in his dream and asked him to dedicate only the garland worn by Andal to him. The girl Kothai was thus named Andal and was referred as Chudikodutha Sudarkodi (lady who gave her garland to Vishnu). The practise is followed during modern times when the garland of Andal is sent to Azhagar Koyil on Chitra Pournami day where the presiding deity Lord Kallazhagar entering into River Vaigai with the garland worn by Goddess Andal and Tirumala Venkateswara Temple during [Garudostavam during the Tamil month of Puratasi (September – October)] . It is also believed that  Lord Ranganathar of Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple married Andal , who later merged with the idol . Andal was taken in a palanquin from Srivilliputhur to Srirangam before the marriage . Since Andal married Ranganatha , who came as a King (called Raja) , the presiding deity is called Rangamannar .

The parrot in the hands of the Goddess Andal is made up of fresh leaves daily and the old ones are given to devotees .

In this temple interchanging of garlands between the married couples is a sacred ritual and we were fortunate to do so , as it was our 37th wedding anniversary day .

Srivilliputhur is famous for its palkova too .


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