Thirukkudandai

Thirukkudandai is traditionally enumerated as number 6 among the 108 Divya Desams — the sacred abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu sung by the Alvars.

This is a famous Cholanadu divya desam. The Sarngapani temple is located here. It is about one and half miles from the Kumbakonam railway station. The moolavar is known as Aravamudhan i.e. amudam (nectar) that never satiates, the never-cloying nectar. He is facing east in Udyoga Sayana pose (half-reclining).

The utsavar is known as Sri Sarngapani as also Sri Sarngaraja or Sri Sarnga Dharan or Sri Sarnga Kesan. Sarngam is the name of Lord Vishnu’s bow. People usually call this deity by mistake as Sarangapani. Sarangam means “a deer”. Lord Siva only will keep a deer in his hand. The letter “a” therefore makes all the difference! The name of the Goddess is Komalavalli Thayar. The vimanam is known as Vaithega vimanam. The tank here is Hema pushkarani. Perumal appeared before Hema maharishi at this place.

Old sanskrit books like Sesha Dharma, Vamana Puranam, Sri Aravamudha Vaibhavam, Kumbakona Mahatmyam, Thiruvinnagar Mahatmyam, Thirucherai Mahatmyam, Nandipura Vinnagara Mahatmyam, Vanamamalai Mahatmyam, Srimushana Mahatmyam etc. speak about the glories of the city of Kumbakonam. In 1952, the book Thirukudanthai Sarngaraja Vaibhavam was brought out by Sri U.V Iayavilli Srinivasachariyar swami. In 1964, to commemorate the temple samprokshana festival a book was brought out by Sri L.Rajagopalan. The famous Tamil Pandit Meenakishi Sundaram Pillai also has written a book about Kumbakonam and the myriad stories associated with the temples of that town. A reading of all these helps one to understand the great-

ness of this temple town which is also known as the Cambridge of the East because of the many educational institutions, religious mutts, and Pundits and Vidwans who lived here. The great mathematician Ramanujam was born here. Some consider that Thirukudanthai is one among the eight Swayam vyaktha kshetrams.

Vaishnavites hold this place in high esteem and believe it to be equal in importance to Kanchipuram, Srirangam and Tirupathi. Many people speak in the same breath about Sri Ranganatha and Sri Aravamudan. It is said that one can see Vibhavam i.e. incarnation) at Sri Rangam and Soundaryam ie. beauty) at Kudamukku. On the south and the north of this town, the two rivers Arasalar and Kaveri are flowing, giving a feeling that this town is an island like Srirangam. While Srirangam is known as God’s Mel Veedu (the house in the upper region i.e. heaven). Thirukkannapuram (yet another divya desam in Chola nadu) is considered as Keezh veedu (the house in this world). Thirukkudanthai is known as Nadu veedu (i.e. the house in the middle). This place has got various other names viz. Kudamukku; Bhaskara kshetram; Kalyanapuram; Devaloka pattinam; Sivavishnupuram; Mantradhi- Devathasthanam; Sarngarajan pattinam; Kshetra Saram; Olirmighu pattinam; Panchakrosa yathra sthalam.