Srivilliputhur* - The Abode of Andal * - Incarnation of Boodevi * - Consort of Lord Vishnu *

This temple was built by the king Villi and hence this place has been called as Viiliputhur, later due to the holiness of that place 'Thiru' has been prefixed and called as Sri villiputhur now. The Main entrance tower (Raja Gopuram) had been built by Periyaalwar, somebody said it'd been built by Madurai Vallaba thevan.

This temple's tower has been recognized as the government symbol of Tamil Nadu. Periyaalwar, who was the guardian father of Andal had the regular custom of garlanding the lord perumal here. This main tower is having 11 stages with 11 gopura kalasams on it.

Having entered into the temple, before we reach the flagstaff and the sacrifice platform, there lies the shrine of Namaalwar and next to this, there lies the shrine of Udaiyavar also Ramanujar at the left hand side. At the right, the shrine of Periyaalwar has been found.

This temple has been built in as such of having two flooring as up and down. The down floor, we can see the shrine of lord Lakshmi Narashimhar.

After having come out the shrine of Lakshmi Narashimhar at the ground floor, then we have to climb up to the first floor and there we could see the Maha mandapam in which there lies the idol of Garudaalwar.

Next to this maha mantapam, there has been the existence of Pakal Patthu Mandapam alias Gopala Vilasam, which has been decorated with the wooden sculptures in Kerala's architecture style. All those wooden sculptures have been taken from the previous temple's car which had been replaced by a new one at present.

The next to this Gopala Vilasam, the Sanctum Sanctorium has been found with the unusual style of having three entrances one at the direction of the head of the presiding deity Vadapatra Sayanar, the other at the direction of His holy feet and the third one is as usual as the entrance of that shrine. These three entrances have been opened at the time of the Tamil month of Marghazhi (Dec-Jan), during the holy bathing event.

This presiding deity has been sculptured with 'Suthai Poochu' (sand+limestone paste) not with stone. It had been sculptured as under the Banyan tree and on the bed of the Adhiseshan (five headed snake) lord Perumal seen in the 'Anandha sayanam posture' (sleeping posture) to whose head near, there we could see the Garudaalwar and near the holy feet, there we could see goddesses Sridevi and Boodevi. From the navel, there we could see one lotus flower on which lord Brahmah sitting prettily.

Inside the shrine of the sanctum, there we could able to see the drawings called Kinnara Mithunam which had been the the strange figures having got the wings at the waist of human body, but only with the bird's legs down from the waist.The sculptures of lord Vishnu that had been created for the dharshan of ordinary men have been called as Archavathara Shorupam.

To the north of the flagstaff, there we could able to see a beautiful glass house, amidst the portrait of Sri Andal has been placed. During the festival of Agathesi, this glass house has been functioning as the palliyarai, which is the place where god and goddess are said to be slept at the night.

Golden chariot for the cicumambulation *

A golden chariot has been placed in a shed very near to the glass house. During the festivals or by the wish of any devotee (should pay for it) the golden chariot has been circumambulated within the corridor of the temple premises.

In between the flagstaff and the glass house, we could able to find a very fine sculptured stone idols of Rathi Devi (goddess of love), Neerthuvamuga Veerapathrar, lord Krishna's chariot driver and the king Karna at the left row and at the right row, we could able to find Manmathan (god of love and the pair of Rathi devi), Oorthuva Veerapathrar, kughan, and Arujnan (one of pancha pandavas).

To the south of the flagstaff, there lies the shrine of Goddess Sri Gajalakshmi whose idol has been made up of 'Sudhai poochu' (sand +limestone mixture) which has been decorated with lovely wooden carvings.

Near to the shrine of goddess Gajalakshmi, there also one more shrine of lord Hanuman has been situated.

Having circumambulated the outer corridor, now we could enter into the inner corridor in which all the walls have been painted with the beautiful pictures of the 108 Divya Desams of lord Vishnu. I got the permission from the office and had paid some amount in order to take all the paintings seen on the wall. I give it to you as it is without having done any editing work, since having thought about it's originality.

I think it would be a great feast to the one who like the antiques and it's tradition. come on let's see!

The Madhavi Panthal which had been often told in Andal's Thirupaavai (compilation of Andal's songs) has been situated near the shrine of Lakshmi Narayanar, just at the beginning of the pragharam (corridor). Just below this,the shrine of 'Senai Muthalvar' has been found.

Having guarded by the 'Thwarabalaghas' on both sides, we could enter into the 'Maha mantapam'. There we could able to see the Oonjal Mantapam which has been gold plated and as called as vellikizhamai kuradhu. On it's pillars of this, the sculptures of both the kings Thirmalai nayak and chockappa nayak with their spouses have been crafted upon.

Near to this, there we could able to see the Kannaadi Kinaru, in which it's been known that Andal had seen her beauty, before having garlanded the flowers to lord Arangan, by having hold it on her shoulder.

Next to the maha mantapam, there lies the 'artha mantapam', here also the entrance has been guarded by the two 'thwarabalaghas' on both sides.

Next to the artha mantapam, there we could able to see the 'Kanaga Samara Boopalanam' which has been a gold plated throne, on it the presiding deities of lord Ranga Mannar holding scepter at His hand with Goddess Sri Andal holding a parrot rest on her hand, surrounded by 'Garudalwar' in a saluting position.

All these three idols have been crafted with 'Suthai poochu' that is been crafted with sand+limestone paste. So all the abiseghams are done to the processional deities which are placing very near to it.

In this Sanctum, upon which the tower has been sculptured with the 'suthai made idols', which all these are representing the 30 songs of Thirupaavai sung by Sri Andal. So this tower has been called as Thirupaavai tower.

This is the place where, Andal had been adopted by Periyaalwar when she was found there as a child. Then that place had been the 'Thulsi garden' and Andal was adopted by him on the auspicious day of 'Aadi pooram'. That place has been called now as 'Thirupura Nandhavanam'.

Periyaalwar had created that Nandhavanam only for plucking the fresh flowers and made as a garland for lord Vishnu. Now we could able to see a mantapam amidst the vast garden. Here the thirty (30) hymns of 'Thirupaavai' had been encripted on the marble stone and been placed for the devotee's vision.

In the shrine, the idol of Andal has been placed,standing as if a small girl standing with the innocent sight. Next to her, there lies the 'Thulsi Maadam' (The sacred Basil plant found in the raised platform).

On every month, when the day fall on 'Pooram' (birth star of Andal), the processional deity of goddess Andal would have visited here.

It had been a custom that Andal first plucked the fresh flowers and made them as a garland and she first wore it on her shoulders and admired her own beauty on the water near the well (now it's termed as glass well inside the temple). Having completed all those habits, she then garlanded it to lord Vishnu.

Today itself also the presiding deity 'Vadapathra sayee' has been garlanded with the flowers which had been garlanded to goddess Andal on previous night. During the grand festival of the 'Brahmothsavam' fall on the Tamil month of 'Purattasi' (Aug-Sep) at the Thirumala Thirupathi, the garland which had been worn and took out from goddess Andal, would have been worn on lord 'Venkatachalapathy'.

Again at Madurai, during the grand festival called 'Alagar gets in river Vaigai', before having got into the river Vaigai, the same garland worn and taken out from Sri Andal would have been garlanded to lord Kallalagar.

The parrot on the hand of Goddess Sri Andal *

The Idol of Sri Andal has been always found with a parrot sitting on her left hand. Every day the parrot has been replaced by a new one, which is made up of the following items.

1) The leaf of Nagamalligai.

2) The leaf of Nanthiyavattai.

3) The leaf of Aelilai Kilangu.

4) The flower of White Arali.

5) The flower of pink Arali.

In order to get that parrot on the next day, there could have been a high competition among the devotees.

The Temple Car of Goddess Sri Andal*

Among the tallest temple cars in Tamil Nadu, the temple car of Andal (Srivilliputhur) has been considered as the tallest one. It has been made up of Vanni tree, Teak wood and Koanku tree. The height of the temple car is seventy five feet. This has been designed by the 'Vaanamaamalai Geeyar' which is having all the merits by it's look, beauty, height and majesty.

All the sides of the temple car has been crafted with the very fine wooden work of having described various stories of the puranas. The old wooden sculptures found on the temple car have been decorating the 'Gopala vilasam' of lord 'Vadapathra Sayee' temple.

This temple car has been equipped with modern wheels, having supported with iron bushes, ball bearings and hydraulic brakes, which has been designed and made by the Trichy Bharath Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL). So now it is very easy move that huge temple car.

There has been encrypted at the ring of the temple car where it has been tied with the rope that "Sali Vaghana Saghaptham, Kollam 1025 years (Soumiya varudam)". From this we could able to know the age of the temple car that it would be more than 150 years old.

One strange fact that the 196 feet main tower has been built upon mere 7¹/2 feet basement at bottom.

With that i here conclude this hub, even it has a very long story to share with!

Yours friendly

Selvaganapathy.