Aadinaathan Temple : Aadinaathan Temple Details | Aadinaathan- Alwartirunagari | Tamilnadu Temple | ஆதிநாதன் (நவதிருப்பதி- 5)

Sri Aadinaathan temple

Moolavar	:	Aathinaathan, Aathippiraan
Urchavar	:	Polinthu ninra piraan
Amman / Thayar	:	Aathinaathanaayaki, Thirukkurukoornayaki
Thala Virutcham	:	Puliya maram (Tamrind tree)
Theertham	:	Thaamiraparani,Brahma thirtham
Agamam / Pooja	:	-
Old year	:	1000-2000 years old
Historical Name	:	Thirukurugur
City	:	Alwartirunagari
District	:	Thoothukudi
State	:	Tamil Nadu


	Singers:

	Nammalvar has offered mangalaashaasanam in 11 songs in his Tiruvaymoli.

	Festival:

	The ‘Garuda Sevai’ festival during the month of Vaikasi is famous and well-attended. Nammalvar is taken in procession on ‘hamsa vahanam’ (Swan-carriage) on his birthday, that is, the day with Visaka star.

	Temple's Speciality:

	This is one of the 108 sacred places of Lord Vishnu and the 5th Navathiruppathi dedicated to ‘Guru’ or Jupiter.

	Opening Time:

	The Temple is open from morning 7.30 to 12.00 noon and from 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm.

	Address:

	Sri Aadinaathan Tirukkoil, Alwartirunagari, Thoothukudi

	Phone:

	+91 4639 273 607

	General Information:

	The Prime Deity Aathippiraan faces east in standing posture. The image is a swayambu (manifested) and is believed that the feet of the Prime Deity are under the earth. The Lords Spouses, Aathinathanayaki and Thirukkurukoornayaki dwell in separate shrines. This place is also known as Thirukkurukoor because (i) once Lord Brahma received mantropadesam (teaching of mantra) from Lord Vishnu in appreciation of his tapasaya .Since the Lord became Guru, the place was called kurukoor. (ii) Nammalvars ancestor, a chieftain by name Kurukan had this place as his capitol; hence the name kurukoor. (iii) The Tamil word kuruku means stork, hen and conch . The conch or kuruku attained moksha in this place and so the name kurukoor. Nammalvars shrine is more famous than the Lords and so the city came to be known as Alwarthirunagari. Kambar in his work Satagoparanthaathi uses the name kurukoor only. This sacred place is also known as Dhantha Kshetram, Varaha Kshetram, Thirtha Kshetram and Sesha Kshetram, each one has a legend of its own to gain such an identity.

	Prayers

	All afflictions that happen due to the Navagraha curse, will be alleviated by worshipping the deities at Navatiruppatis.

	Thanks giving:

	Devotees perform thirumanjanam for the Lord and don him with new clothes. Those devotees whose prayers are fulfilled give as offering anything they desire.

	Greatness Of Temple:

	The nine Vaishnava holy places are considered as related to the Navagrahas (Nine Planets) and worshipped. The deities themselves are taken to be the Navagrahas and prayed. To a Vaishnavite, the term ‘Alvar’ signifies Nammalvar who has rendered in Tamil Thiruvaaymoli, considered to be the essence of Vedas. He had not visited any divyadesam and remaining in the tree-hole, he sang of all the deities in the different divyadesams. It is believed that all these deities rushed to Kurukoor, sat in the branches of the tamarind tree and requested Nammalvar to hail them! Madhurakavi Alvar, born in Thirukkolur (Navathiruppathi for Mars), saw a blazing light from the south when he was journeying in the north, came to Kurukkor following the light. He saw Nammalvar sitting in Yoga in the tree-hole, understood that he was his Guru and declared in his 11 pacurams, commencing with the phrase “kanninun cirutthaambu” that there cannot be a God other than Kurukoor Nambi (Nammalvar). He then compiled the Thiruvaaymoli. Nammalvar alone has consecrated this deity in 11 pacurams.

	Temple History:

	Dhantha Kshetram: Manthan, a Brahmin boy having abused the Vedas, incurred the wrath of his master who cursed him to be born in a low-caste in his next birth. He was born Dhanthan, led a disciplined life and came to Kurukoor to worship Aathippiraan. The high-caste priests drove him away; but Dhanthan made a sand-image of the Lord at the banks of River Thaamiraparani and carried on his worship. The high-caste-priests suddenly lost their eyesight and when they surrendered to the Lord to find out the reason, a voice from the sky directed them to ask pardon to Dhanthan. So did the priests and retrieved their lost eyesight. Dhanthan had the beatific vision of the Lord with His Spouse. We can see the image of Dhanthan sculpted in the first step of the ardha mantapam; where he worshipped Aadhinathan is known as Appan Koil or Chemponmaada Tirukkurukoor. Varaha Kshetram: Some sages of the yore desired to see the Varaha avatar (Boar incarnation) of the Lord and so conducted a rigorous tapasya at this sacred place. The Lord in Varaha form with Bhoomadevi on His lap appeared before them and blessed them. Hence, this is Varaha Kshetram. The Lord is hailed as Jnanappiran. Thirtha Kshetram: Shankan, a sage was carrying on a tapasya with an intention of becoming one of the guards of eight directions of the universe. Narada advised him to do the tapasya towards Lord Narayana who would grant him moksha. When Shankan asked about the way to achieve it, Narada told him that he should be born as a conch (Chanku) in the sea where River Thaamiraparani merges and worship Aathinaathan for 1000 years. Shankan by becoming so worshipped first the Lord established by Dhanthan and later, instructed by Narada prayed Aathippiran in the morning as a human being and in the night went to the sea as a conch. Once when he was coming with his crew to have his daily worship, a whale stopped his progress and Shankan prayed intensely to Aaathippiran. At that time, a man appeared in the sea and swallowed the whale. Shankan and his crew, thereafter, happily carried on their prayer. After 1000 years, the Lord with His Devis on His Garuda Vahanam revealed Himself to Shankan and his fellows and granted them moksha. The wharf where Shankan and his crew entered is known as Thirucchankaniturai even today. Since it was entry through water, this holy place has gained the name Thirtha Kshetram. Sesha Kshetram: This legend is related to Ramayana and subsequently to Nammalvar, because of whom this holy city is called Alwarthirunagari. Three days before the cessation of Ramavataram, Lord Yama (God of Death) came to see Lord Rama, who instructed his brother Lakshmana not to allow anybody thereafter. Sage Dhurvaasa desiring to see Lord Rama before the completion of incarnation came and Lakshmana, afraid of incurring his wrath and curse, did not stop him. But, the displeased Rama cursed his brother to become a tree, as he did not respect his order. Lakshmana cried and asked pardon that he could not live without him. Rama then said that he himself had to be like a statue for 16 years, for committing the sin of sending Sita to the forest and that he would sit in the hole of the tree at that time. Lakshmana would become a tamarind tree at the Varaha Kshetram. Sage Kashyapa and his wife, born as Kaari and Utaya Nangai would come to Kurukoor praying for a child. The Lord would be born as Maran (Nammalvar) and as a baby he would crawl to the hole in the tamarind tree and sit motionless for 16 years. After this Yoga, he would do the Vedas in Tamil and pave way for bhakti. Lord Rama gave his ring to his brother and said that Lakshmana would be a tamarind tree where the ring dropped. Lakshmana, the incarnation of Adisesha stands as the tamarind tree in this holy temple. So the place is appropriately called Sesha Kshetram.

	Special Features:

	Miracle Based: This is one of the 108 sacred places of Lord Vishnu and the 5th Navathiruppathi dedicated to ‘Guru’ or Jupiter.

Location :
Alwarthirunagari is in the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur railway route and the temple is about 1.5 kms from the station. It is about 5kms from Srivaikuntam and 34 kms from Tirunelveli, from where frequent bus services are available.

Near By Railway Station :
Thoothukkudi

Near By Airport :
Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai.

Accomodation :

Thoothukkudi:

Geetha International +91 461 234 6174, 874, 974
Hotel Alwin : +91 461 232 8780, 81, 82, 83
Hotel Sugam: +91 0461 232 8172/272/372/472/572
Hotel Jony International : +9 461 232 8350,51,52,53, 232 8960
Hotel Palson : +91 461 232 0839, 232 5179, 232 7052, 232 7053
Chitra Lodge : +91 461 232 8877, 232 8977, 232 9077
Hotal Visaka : +91 461 232 9601, 02, 03
Hotel Paul Sornam : +91 461 232 4616