Sri Kudamaadukoothan Perumal Temple (Thiru Arimeya Vinnagaram), Tamil Nadu

Sri Kudamaadukoothan Perumal | Thiru Arimeya Vinnagaram (Tamil: ……) is one of the 108 Divayadesams dedicated to lord Srimaha Vishnu. Built around ….. , it lies in Thirunaangur, Tanjore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Its primary dieties are Kudamadu Koothan and Amruthagada Valli where moolavar is found in sitting posture and is facing east.

Deities: The Moolavar here is Kudamaadukoothan, in a seated posture facing east, while the Utsavar is Gopalan. Taayaar here is Amritaghatavalli.

The Tirunaangur Divya Desams: This is one of the 11 Tirunaangur Divya Desams in the vicinity of Sirkazhi, glorified by the hymns of – and closely associated with Tirumangaialwar, whose birthplace Tirunagari, is located nearby. 11 Divya Desams in the vicinity of Sirkazhi, Tiruvaali and Tirunagari (the birthplace of Tirumangaialwar) are associated closely with Tirumangaialwar. Legend has it that Shiva performed the Ekadasa Rudra Aswamedha Yagam to rid himself of the blemish of Bhramahatti (killing a Brahmin); Vishnu is believed to have appeared in his presence with Sree Devi, Bhu Devi and Nila Devi at the end of the sacrifice, and upon Shiva’s request, taken up 11 abodes here in the Tirunangur area, which correspond to the 11 Tirunaangur Divya Desams held in worship by Rudra.

Only Tirumangaialwar has sung of these 11 Divya Desams. The Tirunaangur Divya Desam shrines are Kavalampaadi, Tiruvanpurushottamam, Arimeya Vinnagaram, Chemponseikoyil, Manimaadakkoyil (Narayanan), Vaikuntha Vinnagaram, Tirudevanaar Togai, Tiruttetriambalam, Manikkootam, Tiruvellakkulam, and Parthanpalli.

Festivals: The Tirumangaialwar Mangalasasana utsavam in the month of Thai (after the new moon night) witnesses Garudasevai – a spectacular event in which festival images of Perumaal from the 11 (Tirunaangur) Divya Desam shrines in the area are brought on Garuda mounts to Tirunangur. An image of Tirumangai Alwar is brought here on a Hamsa Vahanam (from Tirunagari) and the his paasurams (verses) dedicated to each of these 11 Divya Desams are recited. The image of Tirumangaialwar circumambulates each of these deities, and at the conclusion of the festival, the images are returned to their temples. Prior to this, the image of Tirumangaialwar and his consort are taken in a palanquin to each of the 11 Tirunangur Divya Desams, (trampling) through the paddy fields in the area, and the paasurams dedicated to each of the 11 Divya Desams are chanted in the respective shrines. The Ekadasa Garuda Sevai is the most important festival in this area, and it draws thousands of visitors.

This temple is also sub catogorized as one of the 11 Tirunaangur Divya Desam shrines which are as follows

Kavalampaadi,
Tiruvanpurushottamam,
Arimeya Vinnagaram,
Chemponseikoyil,
Manimaadakkoyil (Narayanan),
Vaikuntha Vinnagaram,
Tirudevanaar Togai,
Tiruttetriambalam,
Manikkoodam,
Tiruvellakkulam and
Parthanpalli

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