Tiruneermalai

One of the 108 Temples & Celestial Abodes of Vishnu revered by the Tamil hymns of the Alwars of the 1st millennium CE

Location: Tiruneermalai (Pallavaram) near Chennai
(
Tondai Naadu)
Vishnu: Neervannan, Shanta Narasimhan, Ranganathar, Trivikrama,
Taayaar: Animamalarmangai, Ranganayaki
Theertham:Manikarnika Tataakam
Paasuram :Tirumangaialwar
Vimaanam:Toyagiri Vimanam
Travel Base:Chennai
rangan.jpg (67392 bytes)
Description This Divya Desam is located in the outskirts of Chennai, near Pallavaram. It is a complex of two temples, one on top of a small hill reached through a flight of stairs, with three shrines, and one at the bottom of a hill, with one shrine. The Divya Desam in the city of Chennai is Tiruvallikkeni. Located near Meenambakkam nearby is Tirisoolam, with an ancient temple (from the Chola period)   dedicated to Shiva.

The name Neer malai arises from the legend that when Tirumangaialwar visited this shrine, a moat of water surrounded the hill, and that he had to wait in the village down below for a six month period until the water receded.

Legend has it that Valmiki worshipped the three forms of Vishnu on the hill, and upon meditating upon Rama after climbing down the hill, Ranganathar manifested himself as Rama, Lakshmi as Janaki, Adiseshan as Lakshmanan, the conch and the discus as Shatrugna and Bhararata, Viswaksena as Sugreeva, Garuda as Hanuman, and appeared before him.

Deities: The temple at the bottom of the hill enshrines Neervannan or Neelamukilvannan in a standing posture facing south, while Taayaar who is in her own sanctum, is Animaamalar Mangai. There is also a sanctum for Chakravarti Tirumagan in this temple. This temple has a single prakaram and a three tiered rajagopuram.

The hill temple accessed via a flight of 200 steps has three sancta. The first of the Moolavar images is that of Shanta Narasimhan, in a seated posture facing east. The second is that of Ranganathar, in a reclining position, facing south. Taayaar here is Ranganayaki facing east, in her own sanctum. The third sanctum is that of Trivikraman (Nadandan) in a standing posture facing east. (Thus in terms of iconography all three positions described by 'irundaan', 'ninraan', 'kidandaan' are seen here in the hill temple).The  Divya Desams enshrining Trivikrama are Tiru Oorakam (Kanchipuram) , Tirukkovilur, Kaazhicheeraamavinnagaram and  Tiruneermalai.

Festivals: Two worship services are carried out each day here. Annual festivals are held in Panguni and in Chittirai with emphasis on Panguni Utthiram and the tamil new year.

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