Azhagiya Manavalan Perumal Temple (commonly known as Nachiyar Koil) in Uraiyur, a suburb Tiruchirappalli city of Tamil Nadu Indian dedicated to the Hindu God Azhagiya Manavalan (Vishnu) and Goddess Kamalavalli (Lakshmi) is a popularan Divyadesam shrine. glorified by saints Azhwars. The temple seems to be much older than 7th CE
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Uraiyur Nachiyar temple TN .upload.wikimedia.org |
Above image : Azhagiya Manavalan Perumal Temple. Uraiyur, a Tiruchirappalli city, TN. Image Credit. Ssriram mt - Own work.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Uraiyur Nachiyar temple,TN yappe.in |
Constructed in by the Medieval Cholas of 8th CE. Pandya, Vijayanagara and Nayak rulers made addition in the period. As per Hindu legend, Azhagiya Manavala perumal appeared to have Kamalavalli, the daughter of Chola king Nanda Cholan in this placer.
Built in dravidian style, a granite wall encloses the shrines including the 5-story Rajagopuram (temple's gateway), many shrines, halls (mantaps) and water tanks.
Legend of Nachiyar's marriage to Azhagiya Manavalar
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Nachiyar temple, Uraiyur,TN upload.wikimedia.org |
Above image : Azhagiya Manavalan Perumal Temple or Nachiyar temple. Uraiyur, TN. Legend of of the divine wedding of Kamalavalli Nacuiyar with Vishnu- Azhagiya Manavalan Perumal. Image Credit. Ssriram mt - Own work...........
The legend has it, Nanda Chola, an ardent devotee of Vishnu was childless. One day on an hunting expedition, by chance in the wooded area he spotted a child in a 1000 petal lotus tank, an incarnate of Sri Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu (blessed by the lord in appreciation of devotion to him). Tke Chola king named her Kamalavalli based on her place of birth. When she reached the age of marriage, she fell in love with Vishnu Ranganatha of Srirangam. The Chola king gave her in marriage to Ranganatha and the deity appeared as the groom. Vishnu appeared as Azhagiya Manavalan, meaning a beautiful groom, hence the temple at Uraiyur is called ''Azhagiya Manavalan Temple''.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. .jfif) |
| Perumal-Nachiyar Serthi Seva, Uraiyur, TN maalaimalar.com |
This event is celebrated as Serthi Sevai festival Every year this event is celebrated as Serthi Sevai festival as a grand one in the tamil month of Panguni.
The architecture followed here is that of Dravidian style with a tall Rajagopuram called Kamala Vimanam with large stone pillared supported by richly ornamented tall pillars supporting the ceiling on both sides.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Uraiyur Nachiyar temple,TN upload.wikimedia.org |
Above image : Azhagiya Manavalan Perumal Temple or Nachiyar temple. Uraiyur, TN. entrance to the sanctum -garbhagriha Dwarapalakas on either side of the sanctum. Image Credit. Ssriram mt -
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Nachiyar temple, upload.wikimedia.org image S sriram mt |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Nachiyar temple,Pillered hall. upload.wikimedia.org image. N.S.Mohan |
Vishnu as Azhagiya Perumal in sitting posture. The shrine of the goddess Kamalavalli Nachiyar are in the central shrine. It is said North facing Nachiyar sannidhi - shrine is one of a kind in the divya desam temple. Saints Ramanuja and Nammazhwar are enshrined in separate shrines. The walls on the latter shrine has paintings such as Narasimha avatars of Vishnu, Vaishnava Acharyas Azhwars, episodes from the mythology related to Vaishnavism,etc. These paintings are dated to 1800s.
Recalling the divine wedding of Azhagiya Manavalan with Kamalavalli Nachiyar, Serthi Sevai festival, an important one is celebrated at this temple. This annual festival falls in the Tamil month of Panguni during the Ayilyam star.
It is believed to be a part of the Panguni Uthiram festival of Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple, when the festival idol (Urchavar) of Srirangam temple, Namperumal is brought to the Nachiyar temple in Uraiyur. The richly adorned festival idols of Nachiyar and Namperumal are placed in the Serthi hall of the temple. Special rituals are performed during the occasion in the presence of a large gatherings of devotees.
The chariot festival, (Therottam'/Rath yatra) celebrated during the Tamil month of Chithirai (March–April), is the most prominent and attrracts large crowds. The other major festivals celebrated in the temple include Dolostava, (Celebration in Vaishnava tradition to honor e divine love of Lord Krishna and Radha, similar to Holi, the "festival of colors"), Vasanthothsava (spring festival) and Navaratri.
Like other temples of Tamil Nadu this one is under the the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu (HR &CE).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azhagiya_Manavala_Perumal_Temple