Thirukkurungudi Divya Desam- from the Hindu - for your reading pleasure

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http://www.narthaki.com/info/articles/article43.html

 

Sadagopan mama has writtena beautiful article on this Divy

Desam.

 

Again, a request all of you who read this for paying a visit to

Nambi.

 

aDiyEn,

ramanan

 

 

---- On Thu, 26 Aug 2004, Madhavakkannan V

(srivaishnavan) wrote:

 

> Hailed by the Azhwars

>

>

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/08/27/stories/2004082702620600.htm

>

> The ancient temple at Thirukurungudi, situated 47 km

> from Tirunelveli past Nanguneri, has great historical

> significance. PRADEEP CHAKRAVARTHY gives an account.

>

> Tirukkurungudi temple ... literature speaks of green

> groves and tall mansions.

>

> " WHY MY companions do you blame me? It's not my fault

> that I am in love with him! On seeing my Lord of

> Thirukurungudi, I think only of His discus, His conch,

> His lotus eyes and pair of coral hued lips. My heart

> is mine no longer! " Thiruvaimozhi 5.5.1

>

> Going on, Nammazhwar explains in the next 8 stanzas

> the overriding obsession of Parankusa Naayaki towards

> the Lord in Thirukurungudi. In what are among the most

> beautiful paasurams, one hears Parankusa Naayaki

> replying to her companions and her mother of how the

> spellbinding beauty and majesty of the Lord has

> overcome her. She speaks of His hue, His jewels, His

> weapons, His garlands and begs her friends not to

> blame her, for her obsession is one that is all

> consuming and beyond her own control.

>

> Azhwar speaks of palm tree groves and tall mansions.

> The palm tree groves are intact watered by the

> Nambiaru but the houses are dwarfed by the majesty of

> the entrance gopuram.

>

> Although incomplete, even without any tier, it raises

> over a flight of stairs. The variety of sculptures of

> Saivite and Vaishnavite themes only gives a sample of

> what is to come within the 18 acres inside.

>

> Crossing the threshold, Sri Tirunarayanar took a few

> minutes to explain the working of the 30-ft doors.

> Crossing in we admired more sculptures on the gopuram

> including one of Saturn. Passing by this, we went to

> an intermediary mandapam with eight grand Nayak

> sculptures.

>

> Climbing up the five-tier gopuram after this, our eyes

> were subjected to a surfeit of carvings in wood. We

> went past a smaller mandapam with more Nayak

> sculptures of a ferocious Narasimha, a gypsy couple

> kidnapping a prince and princess, the hallmark of

> Nayak sculptures to the main shrines.

>

> The Lord here is in three separate shrines, standing

> in one, seated in another and reclining on the third.

> The images are of stucco beautifully painted. Bhoomi

> Devi was in a mellow green to depict the greenery of

> the earth, Sri Devi in a golden yellow. True to his

> name of Sundaraparipoornan or Vadivazhagiyanambi (one

> of matchless beauty) the Lord was of breathtaking

> beauty. Flanked by Brigu and Markandeya, the archakar

> told how the Lord blessed Kari and Udayanangai with

> their progeny Nammazhwar. He also told how the Lord

> appeared to Ramanuja as a disciple and earned the Lord

> the name Vaishnava Nambi.

>

> Next, we went to the shrine of Mahendranathar, a

> shrine for Lord Siva in the main temple complex and

> the beautiful Krishna shrine. " You must visit the

> Nambi shrine on the Mahendragiri hill and

> Thiruparkadal Nambi. They are also part of this temple

> and the former is set in a beautiful forest beside a

> stream, " said Thirunarayanan. The temple has been

> mentioned in the verses by Periyazhwar and

> Thirumazhisaipiran. Thirumazhisaipiran in the

> Thiruchandaviruttam speaks of Kurungudi being a place

> where the palm fruits roll into the river where cranes

> and Valai fish abound (verse 62).

>

> Thirumangai Azhwar spent his last days here and

> appropriately in his song on the temple, he speaks as

> Parakala Naayaki, " The cool moonlight breeze, laden

> with His jasmine's fragrance, rips my heart with

> longing.

>

> Let these bangled sleepers prattle.

>

> But carry me away to my lord in Kurungudi. " — Periya

> Thirumozhi 9.5.2

>

> Ottakoothar, the Chola poet speaks of the temples

> prosperity and says, " pearls are aplenty in the groves

> that cranes peck at them and nearly choke in the

> process! "

>

> Inscriptions are few in number. A unique event in the

> town is the celebration in song and dance of

> Nampaduvan a member of the panar community, who

> redeems a demon from his curse. Kaisika Natakam is on

> the night of Ekadasi in Karthigai month. The months of

> Thai and Panguni have other important festivals. The

> Thirukurungudi temple is administered by the Jeeyar.

> than anything else.

>

> The visit was unforgettable and we could agree with

> Nammazhwar who says, " My resplendent Lord of the

> celestials, lives in Kurungudi and shines like molten

> gold. How can I ever forget him? " Thiruvaimozhi 1.10.9

> The temple is 47 km from Tirunelveli past Nanguneri.

> Contact for more details: Thirunarayanan, Thirujeeyar

> Math, Thirukurungudi, Tirunelveli District.

>

>

>

>

>

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