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Sri Sarangapani temple
 
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Moolavar: Sarangapani, Aravamudhan
  Urchavar: -
  Amman / Thayar: Komalavalli
  Thala Virutcham: -
  Theertham: Hemavalli Pushkarini, Cauvery and Arisil Rivers
  Agamam / Pooja : -
  Old year: 1000-2000 years old
  Historical Name: Tirukudandhai
  City: Kumbakonam
  District: Thanjavur
  State: Tamil Nadu
 
     
Singers:
     
  The glory of Lord Sarangapani is sung by almost all Vaishanava Azhwars – Poigai Azhwar, Madhurakavi Azhwar, Kulasekhara Azhwar, Tirupanazhwar, Thondaradipodi Azhwar, Peyazhwar, Bhoodhathazhwar, Tirumazhisai Azhwar, Nammazhwar, Periazhwar and Sri Andal.  
     
 Festival:
     
  Chithirai Utsav in April-May; Thai Sankaraman Utsav in January-February; Vaikasi Vasantha Utsav in May-June; Masi float festival in February-March, Margazhi Vaikunda Ekadasi in December-January are the important festivals celebrated in the temple.  
     
 Temple's Speciality:
     
  Lord Sarangapani blesses the devotees in His reclining form under the Vaideeka Vimana – tower above the sanctum sanctorum. This is one of the 108 Divya Desas of Lord Vishnu.  
     
Opening Time:
   
  The temple is open from 7.00 a.m. to 12.00 and from 5.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.  
   
Address:
   
  Sri Sarangapani Temple, Kumbakonam – 612 001, Thanjavur district.  
   
Phone:
   
  +91-435 - 243 0349, 94435 - 24529. 
    
 General Information:
     
  Lord graces from the sanctum sanctorum along with Mother Koamalavalli daughter of Sage Hemarishi and Mother Mahalakshmi.  Lord Brahmma is above His naval and Sun on the head side.  The sculptures of Narasimha Avatar are beautifully set around the sanctum sanctorum.  As Lord came here in a Rath to wed Mother, the temple is constructed in the shape of a rath.  The two entrances of the
Rahth is called Dakshinayana and Uthirayana.  The wheels of the Rath are of giant size.  Beautiful sculptures adore the surrounding walls.
The Rajagopurams of the temples of Tamilnadu are noted for their height.  Srirangam tower is 236 feet tall and that of Srivilliputhur is 165 feet.  Kumbakonam Lord Sarangapani temple is the third 11 tier 150 feet tall.  The car-rath of the temple also is famous for its high artistic beauty – called Chithira Ther.  Saint Tirumangai Azhwar calls this as Rathabandham.
 
     
Prayers
    
 

Lord Santhanakrishna blesses the devotees in a shrine before the sanctum sanctorum.  Devotees pray here to realize their wishes.  It is the belief that the prayer will certainly bring them what they desire and expect.

 
    
Thanks giving:
    
  Devotees perform Tirumanjanam to Lord and offer vastras. 
    
 Greatness Of Temple:
     
  Lord Perumal’s reclining postures are different in different places.  The one in Kumbakonam Sarangapani temple is praised as Uddhana Sayana.  Saint Thirmazhisai Azhwar in his Mangalasasanam hymn asked Lord “Are you resting as your legs pain due to long walk”.  Perumal tried to get up to grace Azhwar.  Azhwar asked Perumal to give the darshan in the half-waking up posture.  He is not in a complete reclining posture here as such.
The hymns sung by the 12 Azhwars on Lord Vishnu-Perumal had been edited as Nalayira Divya Prabandam – 4000 verses.  Lord Sarangapani was instrumental for this compilation. One of the Vaishnava Acharya Sri Nadamuni who came here for worship heard some devotees sing the glory of Lord in ten verses saying that it may be included in the 1000s.  Sri Nadamuni wondered and asked them to sing those thousand verses too.  But they could not as they did not know them.  Lord Perumal appearing in Nadamuni’s dream, advised him to go to Azhwar Tirunagari (praised as Nava Thirupathi in Tuticorin district) and seek the blessings of Saint Nammazhwar to get the hymns.  Sri Nadamuni came to Azhwar and gave him 4000 verses far above – four fold-his expectation, his joy knew no bounds.  He compiled them.  Thus, the great Vaishnava Tamil scripture with all its poetic beauty speaking the spiritual experiences of Azhwars came into being to elevate the souls generation after generation.
Perumal in the temple is also praised as Aravamudha Azhwar as He was instrumental for the compilation of Nalayaira Divya Prapandam – 4000 verses about the glory of Perumal. Of the Perumals in Divya Desas praised by Azhwars, Srirangam has Mangalasasanams of 11 Azhwars, Tirupathi Venkatachalapathi 10 and Kumbakonam Lord Sarangapani from 7 Azhwars. 
Perumal came to this place to wed Mother.  He hid Himself under the earth for a while to play with mother.  He appeared before Her then and took Her hands in marriage.  The place where Lord played the hiding is now called as Padala Srinivasa shrine.  The one after the marriage is known as Mettu (higher level) shrine where He graces with Mothers.
Majority of the Divyadesa temples have Sorgavasal open on the Vaikunta Ekadasi day occurring in December-January.  But there is no one such in this temple as Perumal came to this Divyadesa directly from His Vaikunta Divyadesa.  The very worship of Perumal Lord Sarangapani would take devotees to salvation.  It is also believed that passing through the Uthirayana and Dakshinayana entrances is no different from the Sorgavasal passing.  According to the system followed here, people enter the temple through the Uthrayana entrance from Thai to Aani ( January-February to June-July) and through Dakshinayana entrance from Aadi to Margazhi month covering the English months July-August to December-January.  As such only one gate is kept open to enter the temple.
In most Divyadesa temples, the presiding deity occupies the highest prominence.  All pujas and Alankaras are offered to presiding deity alone.  In the Kumbakonam temple such respects are offered to the procession deity as He acts on behalf of the presiding deity.  Hence, this temple is revered as Upaya Pradhana Divyadesa with due respect to the procession deity too.
Perumal usually appears with His discus and conch.  The presiding deity and the procession deity of the temple are holding a bow too known as Sarngam, hence, the name of the Lord, Sarangapani.  The bow in the hands of the presiding deity is not visible.  As Kumbakonam is the place of sacred theerthas, deities of rivers and Devas appear here worshipping Perumal.
Kumbakonam is the birth place of Mother Komalavalli.  Afer the marriage Lord chose to stay here itself with His consort – that is in his mother-in-law’s house.  In Tamil this called as Veettodu Mappillai.  Hence, Mother is dominant in the temple.  The first worship goes to Mother only.  As a philosophy, as Mother is first for all respects, to establish this rule, the way to Perumal shrine is also structured accordingly.  The Go-Puja-puja to cow- is performed in Komalavalli Thayar shrine.  Pujas to Lord are offered only then.
The mercy of Lord Perumal Sarangapani towards His devotees is above the power of words.  A devotee Lakshmi Narayanaswami served Lord throughout his life.  He is the one who built the Rajagopuram of the temple.  But he was childless.  He reached the Lotus feet of Lord on a Deepavali day.  Any one having no heir to perform the last rites would go to hell, according to sastras.  But Lord cannot ignore His devotee.  He performed the last rites for His devotee.  Next day, when the temple was opened, people saw Him with a wet dhoti and His sacred thread – Poonool in Tamil and Yagnopavitha in Sanskrit – changed on the right shoulder, darba in hands in rite-performing manner.  This event is followed in the temple on Deepavali days during the midday puja but devotees are not allowed to see this puja.
 
     
  Temple History:
     
  Sage Brugu came to Vaikunda to test the patience and tolerance quality of Lord Vishnu by hitting on His chest.  Lord did not prevent the sage nor grew angry against him. But simply smiled.  Mother Lakshmi asked the Lord how He could allow other male to touch Her also while hitting Him as the chest of Lord is Her home.  The sage fell at the feet of Mother Lakshmi and said that he was given the job of finding a God so soft in nature for conducting a Yagna to whom it was to be dedicated.  I hit Lord for this test and meant no motives.  He also begged Mother that she should be born his daughter.  Mother Lakshmi happily blessed the sage.  She promised the sage to leave Lord for him and advised him to take on penance to realize his wish.   The sage performed penance in Kumbakonam and found Mother on the Hema Pushkarini Theertha on a Lotus.  He took the child and named Her Komalavalli.  He gave his daughter to Perumal in a grand wedding.  Perumal came to wed Mother holding a bow-Sarnga, hence is praised as Lord Sarangapani.  The place, thus is revered as the Avatara Sthala-birth place of Mother Komalavalli-Lakshmi.
 
     
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