Srinivasa Perumal Temple stands in Thirunangur, Tamil Nadu, is a shrine to Srinivasa Perumal (Annan Perumal), with consort Padmavathi, also called Alarmelmangai. It is also known as Thiruvellakulam, Annan Perumal Temple, Annankoil, South Tirupathi.
It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu shrines glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, and one of the eleven Thirunangur Thirupathis, the cluster of Divya Desams concentrated in the small town of Thirunangur, each said to be a form Vishnu took to pacify Shiva's furious tandava dance. The temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the Tamil Vaishnava canon of the Alvar poet saints from the 7th to 9th centuries CE, and is closely associated with Tirumangai Alvar.
Tamil Nadu carries a distinct temple identity of its own: Land of towering gopurams and living Dravidian temple traditions, from the Chola masterpieces to the great Pancha Bhoota Sthalas.
Darshan hours and daily worship
| Session | Timing (as published) |
|---|---|
| Evening | 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM |
Morning hours are reported as roughly 7 AM to noon in one source and 8 AM to noon in another, so left blank rather than guessed. Five daily rituals are observed: Ushathkalam (8 AM), Kalasanthi (10 AM), Uchikalam (noon), Sayarakshai (5 PM) and Erakalam (7 to 8 PM)
Poojas and daily rituals
Five daily rituals: Ushathkalam, Kalasanthi, Uchikalam, Sayarakshai and Erakalam
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Thirumangai Alvar Mangalasasana Utsavam (Garuda Seva) | New moon in the Tamil month of Thai | Festival images of all eleven Thirunangur Divya Desams are brought together on Garuda Vahana while Thirumangai Alvar and his consort Kumudavalli Nachiyar travel by palanquin; villagers traditionally greet him at the boundary with turmeric smeared coconuts |
History and architecture
Architecture
Dravidian style with Chola era influences; three tiered Rajagopuram within a rectangular granite enclosure wall; the sanctum tower is called the Tathuva Yodhaga Vimanam; separate shrines for Perumal, Thayar, Garudan, Anjaneya and Kumudavalli Nachiyar; most recent samprokshanam (consecration) performed in October 2016
History
The temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the Tamil Vaishnava canon of the Alvar poet saints from the 7th to 9th centuries CE, and is closely associated with Tirumangai Alvar. According to the sthala puranam, a king named Swethan chanted the Mrityunjaya mantra beneath a vilva tree beside the temple tank and was blessed by Vishnu with longevity, earning the deity the name Varadhar. Because this shrine to Srinivasa is held to predate the Tirupati temple, the moolavar is called Annan Perumal, meaning elder brother, and the temple is popularly called South Tirupathi, where offerings intended for Tirupati are sometimes made instead. The site is also said to be the avatara sthalam of Kumudavalli Nachiyar, wife of Tirumangai Alvar, and by tradition villagers greet the Alvar's festival image at the village boundary with turmeric smeared coconuts, honouring him as a son in law of the place.
Planning your visit
How to reach
Located at Thiruvellakulam (Annankoil), about 7 to 8 km east of Sirkazhi off NH45A, Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu; also given as roughly 20 km from Mayiladuthurai and 30 km from Chidambaram; nearest railway station is Sirkazhi
Where this information comes from
Confidence: Medium. The deity is called Annan Perumal (moolavar) in most sources with Srinivasa Perumal used for the processional/urchavar image, matching the name supplied; exact founding era and entry fee or dress code details could not be verified