NAMMALWAR'S BIRTH PLACE

THIRUKKURUGUR (ALWAR THIRUNAGARI)

THIRUKKURUGUR - popularly known as ALWAR THIRUNAGARI comes under Navathirupathy in Thoothukkudi District of TamilNadu. This holy town is situated on the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur route on the banks of perennial Tambaraparani river. This place is about 32km from Tirunelveli junction. Mystic saint Nammalwar's birth place is Alwarthirunagari,where he attained salvation. Kurugur ,Thirukkurugur,Thirunagari and then it becomes Alwarthirunagari after Nammalwar.

Alwarthirunagari is known as Pancha kshetram i.e comprising of five kshetrams namely Adi, Dantha, Varaha, Sesha and Sangha. Sthalavruksham is the tamarind tree(thiruppuli alwar) under which Swami Nammalwar did his meditation for sixteen long years. This tree has seven branches covering Nammalwar Sannidhi as an 'amsa' of Adisesha. This tree has medicinal properties. Brahma and Tambaraparani theerthams at Alwarthirunagari and the Vimana is known as Govinda Vimanam. God is prathyaksham to Brahma,Nammalwar,Madhurakavi,Danthan and Sanghamuni.

The Presiding deity at Alwarthirunagari is Athinatha (Moolavar) with His two consorts at sanctum sanctorum and Polindu Nindra Piran is the Utsavamurthi with His five consorts Sridevi,Bhudevi,Andal,Athinathavalli Tayar,Kurugurvalli Tayar.Moolavar Athinathar in Nindra Kolam facing east direction. Like Srirangam, almost all the months have festivals at Alwarthirunagari. The temple is central to the town ,surrounded by mada streets. Temple tank and Nandavanam are away from the temple in the western part of the town. Margazhi (Dec-Jan) and Vaikasi (May-Jun) uthsavams are very important festivals. Arayar Seva in Thiru Athyayana Uthsavam in Margazhi similar to Srirangam and Nava Thirupathi Garuda Seva in Vaikasi are unique and famous in Pandiya Nadu. Thirunangoor Eleven Garuda Seva in Chola Nadu in Thai (Jan-Feb) follows closely the Garuda Seva at Alwarthirunagari in custom,belief and rituals.

The Story of Alwarthirunagari is revolving around and in unison with the life history of Swami Nammalwar. All other eight Thirupathis do not have idols of Nammalwar except Alwarthirunagari. The Tirumeni of Alwar is 'Thanugandhameni'. The image emerged on its own and not sculpted. The time had come to Alwar to shed his mortal coils and reach Vaikunta, Madhurakavi Alwar, the disciple of Nammalwar, went through intolerable agony and sadness and was adamantly insisting like a child to take him also to Vaikuntam as he (Madhurakavi) could not bear the acharya's seperation. Perumal and Nammalwar impressed upon Madurakavi Alwar that he had to fulfill the unaccomplished works and after completion he (Madurakavi) would attain moksha. To comply to his request Nammalwar advised Madurakavi to fetch water from Thambraparani river and boil it as his (Nammalwar) image would emerge. Faithfully, he carried out his acharya's advice. An image,dissimilar to Nammalwar ,came out first but of Sri Ramanuja,the Jagadacharya. After that Alwar repeated again by boiling the river water as per the dictum of his acharya. Beautiful and adorable Srimurthy of Nammalwar came out.At Alwarthirunagari, we can find temples for Acharyas like PillaiLokachariyar, Nampillai, Emberumanar, Manavalamamunigal,Desikan and also for Azhwars. Nachiyar, ThiruVegadamudayan, Alagar, Krishnan, Ranganathan have seperate sannidhis for worship here. We have independent sannidhis for Gnanapiran and ParamapadaNathan, Sudarsanan, Narasimhan, Nathamunigal, Periya Thiruvadi inside the AthiNathar Koil. Nammalwar Sannidhi is in the north side of the main temple and Nammalwar facing south towards AthiNathar Koil. On our way out we can worship Chiriya Thiruvadi (Hanuman) Sannidhi. Moola Garudan at northeast corner of the temple compound wall must be worshipped. In Vaikasi monthas Vaikasi Utsavam is Swami Nammalwar's Tirunakshatra Utsavam since Vaikasi Visaka is swami's birth star.

Even today the Nammalwar is being worshipped at Alwarthirunagari in Padmasana Pose. The Nammalwar srimurthy looks like an exuberant youth in mid-thirties with princely features. Mudra combining index finger and thumb in right hand depicts a great siddantha. During rainy/winter season only warm water 'Thirumanjanam' is performed to Swami Nammalwar;perhaps this may be unique and strange phenomenon in Vaishnavite shrines. The 'mangalsasanam pasuram' by Swami Nammalwar reveals the characterstic quality of each divya desa perumal and in Alwarthirunagari the 'Paratvam' of Srimannarayana is enunciated remarkably well.

Living in Alwarthirunagari will bring salvattion to the devotees and single utterance of the name of this deity in the course of one's life also bring him everlasting peace and salvation.

Alwar Emberumanar Jeeyar Tiruvadigale Saranam