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Tamilnadu Appakkudathan Temple
Appakkudathan Temple is a popular temple. This temple has also been mentioned in ancient Tamil scriptures. These scriptures have been written by Tamil saints. There were 108 Divya Desams; i.e. Premium (Divya) places (Desams); of which 105 were in India, one is believed to be located in Nepal and 2 were beyond the earthly realms.
All these temples are Vishnu temples considered to be a Hindu Supreme God. The Appakkudathan Temple is one of the 108 temples devoted to Vishnu belonging to the Chozanaatu divya desams. Situated at Tirupper Nagar, Thiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, it is also known to be one of the PanchaRangaKshetram. The other temples in the category are Sri Rangam, Thiru Indalur, Sri Rangapatanam and Kumbakonam.
The Appakkudathan Temple is located some 15-20 kilometers away from Tanjore, and around 25 kilometers away from Trichy in Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the Northern side of river Cauvery. The chief deity of the temple is known as Lord Appakkudatan or Lord Appala Ranganathan, can be seen in a reclining posture with a pot full of appam (a traditional sweet) sitting beside him.
The Appakkudathan Temple is said to be even older than the Srirangam Ranganathar temple.
History
Regarding the story behind the temple, there are many myths that are prevalent with different priests and have been passed on from generations to generations.
The legends explain that King Ubamanyu was seemingly cursed by the Sage Durvasa and as a result he lost all his glories. To get his curse lifted, the king was told to visit this sacred place. Once he arrived at Tirupper he settled down and began to feed the people of the village. Soon, people started talking of his generosity and his fame reached far and wide. People started visiting the place from distant places and the king didn't fail to feed them. As days passed, the king kept on feeding thousands of people daily.
Then one fine day an old man turned up at the place and King Ubamanyu received him with honour and respect. He offered him food to eat but by the time old man was done eating, the King realized he had consumed food cooked for over a thousand people. The king was alarmed but kept calm and offered if the man wanted anything else; the old man asked for a pot of sweet Appam. When the King offered the appam to the old man, he lifted the curse that was bestowed upon the King for such a long time.
The King and people realized that the old man was Lord Vishnu in disguise and that is how the temple was established with lord's posture of relaxing and the pot full of appam.
How to Reach
By Train/Air
In order to visit this temple, one can take train to Trichy in Tamil Nadu or fly to Trichy airport from any major Indian city and then take bus or hire car from there. The place is around 25 kilometers away from Trichy city center and regular buses are available.
By Bus
The local name of the place is Kallanai; It is 25 kilometers away from Trichy and 10 kilometers from Lalgudi. Thiru Anbildivyadesam is the landmark situated on the left fringes of the Cauvery river; from this place one need to travel to Poondi and after crossing the bridge, travel around 6 kilometers to reach the temple.
Important Shrines
Although the temple is devoted to Lord Appakkudathan, there are places of worship for Kamalavalli Thayar, the Alwars and the Acharyas. Some of the important shrines in the area of the temple are-
- Pushkarani- Indra Pushkarani/ Kollidam
- Vimanam- IndraVimanam
- Sthalavruksham- Vilvam
- Prathyaksham- King Ubamanyu and Sage Parasara Bhattar
- Mangalasasanam- Thirumangai Alwar, Periyalwar, Thirumazhisai Alawar and Nammalvar
Significance
The temple is one among the five sacred Hindu temples dedicated to Ranganatha form of Vishnu. The temple is seen to have inscriptions from the 18th year of ruling of the famous Aditya Chola. This is the only Divya Desam where Neyyappam is offered to the Gods every night. There is a mention of the Appakkudathan Temple in the Sanskrit work Srirangaraja Sarithapanam.
Weather and time to visit
Since Tamil Nadu is in the tropics, it stays hot throughout the year. In winter months, the temperature falls down to 20 Degree Cal.. So month of October-December or the early summer months till February are best to visit the place as many tourists also flock to the place.
Accommodation
Tirupper Nagar doesn't have any hotels. Tourists stay at Lalgudi and better accommodation facilities are available in Trichy, which is just 25 kilometers away from the temple. Most hotels in Trichy also provide A/C vehicle tours to the temple and other sights of interest nearby.
Tips for Devotees
- It is a popular belief that is a childless couple offer butter and sugar to Lord Santhanagopalan in this temple, they would be blessed with virtuous offspring.
- The temple opens from 7AM to 12PM in morning hours and from 4PM to 8PM in the evening.
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