Thiruneermalai (temple complex)

Thiruneermalai (temple complex)
Thiruneermalai (temple complex)
Neervana Perumal Temple
	Image of the temple
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
District	Chengalpattu district
Deity	Ranganatha/Neervanna Perumal (Vishnu); Ranganayaki/Animamalarmangai Tayar (Lakshmi)
Location
Location	Thiruneermalai
State	Tamil Nadu
Country	India
	Location in Tamil Nadu
Geographic coordinates	12°57′49″N 80°06′53″E / 12.963681°N 80.114686°E
Architecture
Type	Dravidian architecture

Sri Ranganathaswami Temple atop the Holy Hill

The Thiruneermalai temple complex consists of two temples, the Ranganatha Temple and the Thiruneermalai Neervanna Perumal Temple. Both are Hindu temples in Thiruneermalai, a suburb of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

There are two temples, one at the top of the hill and other in the foothills. In all, the temple occupies an area of 15 acres (6.1 ha), with the lower shrine covering 3 acres (1.2 ha). The presiding deity of the temple in the foothills is Neervana Perumal in standing posture. Ranganatha is the presiding deity uphill and the shrine, vimana above the sanctum is called Ranga Vimana. There are images of Trivikrama and Narasimha around the first precinct. The temple tank is called the Kshira Pushkarini and it is believed to feed the waters of Vaikuntha, and the Ocean of Milk. The Karunya Pushkarini is the second tank, which is believed to have formed from the weeping of Narasimha, who was moved by the divine prayers of Prahlada. There are two other tanks called Svarna Pushkarini and Siddha Pushkarini.^[1]

It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu, regionally referred to as Neervana Perumal and Ranganatha. The complex is of two parts: one at the base of the hill for the primary deity Neervanan, featured in a standing posture, and also housing shrines of his consort Animamalarmangai Tayar, Kalyana Ramar, and Andal. The shrine for Anjaneya (Hanuman) is to the right, upon the hill shrine. The temple complex up the hill has three shrines for Ranganatha, found in reclining posture, Trivikrama, featured in a walking posture), Narasimha, featured in a sitting posture. There also exists a shrine for Ranganayaki Tayar, facing the east. It is a double prakaram (outer courtyard) temple. The Garuda shrine faces the deity.

The temple has lot of inscriptions from the Chola and later Pandyas, indicating generous contributions to the temple.^[1]

Legend

According to this temple's regional legend, this site is referred to as Toyatri, meaning a mountain surrounded by water. Thiruneermalai, the modern Tamil name also means a sacred mountain surrounded by water. Among the eight sacred Vishnu temples where he manifested himself called the Ashtasvayamvaka Kshetra. According to regional legend, Sage Valmiki, after composing the epic Ramayana, worshipped Ranganatha at the top of the hill. When he came downhills, he wanted to receive a theophany of Rama, who appeared for the devotee. Lakshmi appeared as Sita, Adi Shesha appeared as Lakshmana, Vishnu's conch, the Panchajanya as Bharatha, his discus, the Sudarshana Chakra as Shatrughna, and Garuda in the form of Hanuman.^[1]

As per a legend, the poet-saint Thirumangai Alvar was held up in the top of the mountain for six months as the place was surrounded by water. Thirumangai Alvar has glorified the temple highlighting the unique aspect of the temple where Vishnu is seen in four different poses of Standing (Neervana Perumal), Lying (Sriranganathar), Sitting (Narasimha) and walking (Trivikrama). Bhoothath Alvar also composed hymns praising the temple.^[1]

Religious practices

Two Bramhotsavams and the Uttiram (Birth star of mother goddess) are celebrated. The Bramhotsavam of Neervanan is held in the Tamil month of Panguni (mid March – mid April) and for Rangantha Perumal in the month of Chittirai (mid April – mid May). While Panguni Uttiram is celebrated for Ranganayaki Tayar, Masi Uttiram is celebrated of Animamalarmangai Tayar, the consort of Neervana Perumal.

The temple rituals are conducted as per the Vaikhanasa tradition.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d C., Chandramouli (2003). Temples of Tamil Nadu Kancheepuram District. Directorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu.

[census-1] C., Chandramouli (2003). Temples of Tamil Nadu Kancheepuram District. Directorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu.

[1]

v t e Places of worship in Chennai
Temples	Adikesava Perumal temple Anantha Padmanabhaswami Temple Royapuram Angala Parameswari Temple Alamelumangapuram Anjaneya Temple Nanganallur Anjaneya Temple Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple Luz Anjaneya Temple Apparswami Temple Ashtalakshmi Kovil Choolaimedu Angalamman Temple Anna Nagar Ayyappan Koil Muthialpet Bairagimadam Temple Chennakesava Perumal Temple Chennai Om Sri Skandhashramam Chintadri Pillaiyar Kovil Dhenupureeswarar Temple Ekambareswarar Temple Elumur Ardhanareeswarar Temple Ettampadai Temple ISKCON Temple Puri Jagannath Temple Kachchaleswarar Temple Kalikambal Temple Saidapet Kamakshi Amman Temple Mangadu Kamakshi Amman Temple Kamaleswarar Temple Kandaswami Temple Kapaleeshwarar Temple Mylapore Karaneeswarar Temple Saidapet Karaneeswarar Temple Karumariamman Temple Ayanavaram Kasi Viswanatha Temple Mambalam Kasi Viswanatha Temple Mambalam Kothandaramar Temple Nandambakkam Kothandaramaswami Temple Muthialpet Krishnaswami Temple Kumaran Kundram Kundrathur Nageswarar Temple Kundrathur Murugan Temple Kurungaleeswarar Temple Madhava Perumal temple Madhya Kailash Madras Kali Bari Mallikesvarar Temple Marundeeswarar Temple Melatirupati Mylapore Mundaka Kanni Amman Temple Nandeeswarar Temple Neelagandeeswarar Temple Parasuramalingeswarar Temple Thiruvallikeni Parthasarathy Temple Porur Ramanatheswarar Temple Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple Purasawalkam Gangadeeswarar Temple Putlur Amman Temple R.A. Puram Ayyappan Koil Ramakrishna Math Thiruneermalai Ranganatha Temple Ravishwarar Temple Sethu Kshetram Mylapore Shirdi Sai Baba Temple T. Nagar Sri Balaji Temple Thiruporur Kandaswamy temple Thiruvalluvar Temple Thyagaraja Temple Tirusoolanathar Tripurasundari temple Tiruvalithayam Vadapalani Andavar Temple Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple Vedapureeswarar temple Velleeswarar Temple Velveeswarar Temple Vengeeswarar Temple
Churches	Santhome Basilica Armenian Church Church of Our Lady of Light Descanco Church Queenship of Mary Church St Andrew's Church St. George's Cathedral St. Mary's Church Saint Patrick's Cathedral Saint Theresa Church St. Lazarus' Church St. Mark's Church St. Matthias' Church St.Mary's Co-Cathedral Wesley Church
Mosques	Thousand Lights Mosque Bahram Jung Mosque Casa Verona's Mosque Dharma Kidangu Mosque Hafiz Ahmad Khan Mosque Makkah Masjid Mamoor Mosque Masjid-o-Anwari Periamet Mosque Triplicane Labbai Jamaath Mosque
Jain temples	Adinath Digambar Jain Temple Shri Chandraprabhu Jain temple Mylapore Swetamber Jain Temple Shantinath Jain temple
Buddhist temples	Sri Lanka Mahabodhi Centre
Gurudwaras	Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha Gurudwara
Parsi temples	Royapuram fire temple
Jewish synagogues	Madras Synagogue

v t e Vishnu temples
Andhra Pradesh	Ahobilam Annavaram Tirumala Dwaraka Tirumala Sarpavaram Simhachalam Mangalagiri Govindaraja Temple, Tirupati Kodandarama Temple, Tirupati Srinivasamangapuram Mandavya Narayana Temple Appalayagunta Varahaswamy Temple, Tirumala Vontimitta Narayanavanam Nagalapuram Karvetinagaram Keelapatla Srikurmam Srikakula Andhra Mahavishnu Temple Ranganatha Temple, Nellore Gollala Mamidada Narasimha Konda Penchalakona Bapatla Chintalarayaswami Temple Antarvedi Ramateertham Padmanabham Buchireddipalem Koulutla Chenna Kesava Temple Jammalamadugu Therani
Bihar	Vishnupad Temple, Gaya
Gujarat	Dwarka
Karnataka	Shivanasamudra Srirangapatna Udupi Melukote Devarayanadurga
Kerala	Thiruvananthapuram Thirukatkarai Moozhikkalam Tiruvalla Thirukadithanam Sengunroor Thiruppuliyoor Thiruvaaranvilai Thiruvanvandoor Thirunavaya Viththuvakkodu Guruvayur Ambalappuzha Tripunithura Thirunelli Varkala
Maharashtra	Pandharpur
Nepal	Baraha Kshetra Bishnupaduka Muktinath
Odisha	Puri
Tamil Nadu	Thirumeyyam Thirukoshtiyur Koodal Azhagar Temple Azhagar Kovil Tirumogoor Srivilliputhur Tiruththangal Thiruppullani Tirukkacchi Ashtabujakaram Tiruvekkaa Tiruththanka Tiruvelukkai Tirukalvanoor Tiru oorakam, Tiru neeragam, Tiru kaaragam, Tirukaarvaanam Tiru Parameswara Vinnagaram Pavalavannam Temple Pandava Thoothar Perumal Temple Nilathingal Thundam Perumal Thiruputkuzhi Thiruvallikeni Thiruneermalai Thiruvidandai Thirukadalmallai Thiruninravur Thiruvallur Thirukkadigai Thiruvazhunthoor Thiruindaloor Kazheesirama Vinnagaram Thirukkavalampadi Thiruchsemponsey Thiruarimeya Vinnagaram Thiruvanpurushothamam Thiruvaikunda Vinnagaram Thirumanimadam Thiruthevanartthogai Thiruthetriyambalam Thirumanikkoodam Thiruvellakkulam Thiruppaarththanpalli Thalai Sanga Nanmathiyam Thiruchsirupuliyur Thiruvali-Thirunagari Thiruccithra kootam Thirukkannangudi Thirunagai Thiru Thanjai Tirukkoilur Thirukkoodaloor Thiru Kavith Thalam Thiru Adhanoor Thirupullabhoothangudi Thirukkudandhai Tirucherai Thirunandipura Vinnagaram ThiruNaraiyoor Thiruvinnagar Thiruvelliyangudi Thirukkanamangai Thirukkkannapuram Thirukkandiyur Srirangam Thirukkozhi Thirukkarambanoor Thiruvellarai Tiruchirapalli Thirupper Nagar Thiruvanthipuram Thiruvaramangai Thirukkurungudi Srivaikundam Thiruvaragunamangai Thiruppulingudi Thirukkurugoor Thirutthulaivillimangalam Thirukkoloor Tirukulandhai Thentirupperai Thiruvattaru Thiruvanparisaram Gunaseelam
Telangana	Bhadrachalam Yadadri Kuchadri Birla Mandir, Hyderabad Mattapalli Dharmapuri
Uttar Pradesh	Naimisaranya Mathura Gokul Ayodhya
Uttarakhand	Devprayag Thiruppirithi Badrinath Vishnuprayag Panch Prayag
Other	Pancharanga Kshetrams

v t e Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu
Chennai	Ashtalakshmi Kovil Chennakesava Perumal Temple, Chennai Ekambareswarar Temple, Chennai Ettampadai Kalikambal Temple Kapaleeshwarar Temple Madhya Kailash Mallikesvarar Temple, Chennai Marundeeswarar Temple Nandeeswarar Temple Parthasarathy Temple Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Prathyangira Devi Temple, Shollinganallur Ravishwarar Sri Balaji Temple, T. Nagar Tiruvalithayam Vadapalani Andavar Temple Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple Jagannath Temple
Tirunelveli district	Ayikudi Balasubramanya Swami Temple Kulashekharanatha Mahalingam Temple, Pathai Nellaiappar Temple Sankaranayinarkoil Thirukutralam Thirumalai Kovil Vaithya lingam temple Vanniappar Temple
Vellore district	Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple, Tirukannamangai Engan Murugan Temple Kalyana Varadharaja Perumal Temple Kothandarama Temple, Thillaivilagam Nadutariappar Temple Paampuranathar Temple, Thirupampuram

Legend

Religious practices

See also

References