Thirukkoshtiyur

Thirukkoshtiyur is traditionally enumerated as number 41 among the 108 Divya Desams — the sacred abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu sung by the Alvars.

This is a Pandya Nadu divya desam situated in Pasumpon „trict in Tamil Nadu. It is about 70 kms. away from Madurai, roughly about an hour’s drive from Madurai. It is 12 miles from Tirupathur near Karaikudi. This divya desam is popularly known as Sowmya Narayana Perumal temple. It is famous for the Ashtanga divya vimanam (eight towered edifice). This

` vimanam is of architectural excellence. It has three floors where

Perumal can be seen in three different postures/poses. This place has a hoary tradition and has association with the ancient

ies as is evident from the inscriptions on the temple walls, which speak about the royal patronage that this temple enjoyed from-mauy people like the Raja of Kasi, King Puroorvas, King Krishnadevarayar, a host of Pallava, Chera, Chola and Pandya

It was at this place that the sangam poet Kottiyur Nallandaiyar was born. The other celebrated sangam period poet Kaniyan Poongunran was also born at Mahipalanpatti which is very close to Thirugoshtiyur. He was the famous poet who declared"Yadhum Oore Yavarum Kaeleer"

ie. the whole world' is my country and every human being is my relative. It was at Thirugoshtiyur that Panditha Mani Kadiresan Chettiar, another great litrary figure of the recent times was born. Thiruvadavoor which is also close to Thirugoshtiyur is the place where the famous sangam poet Kapilar and the great saivite saint Manickavasagar were born. It was in this divya desam that the poet laureate Selva Nambi of the Pandya King Sri Maran Sri Vallaban lived. It was an equally к descendent of Selva Nambi, known as Thirugoshtiyur ambi Who was the preceptor for the great vaishnavite Acharya Aah uja. It was at this place that the sacred meaning of the ғы takshara mantra was passed on by Thirugoshtiyur Nambi м. uja and by the latter to others. This divya desam is the Where during the times of the Pandyan King Srimaran

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Srivallabhan a religious debate was organised at Madurai in order to decide which amonst the two religious philosophies was greater ie. Vaishnavism or Saivism? It was during that contest Perialwar of Srivilliputtur won the day for Vaishnavism, The story as to how he attended the court at Madurai based on the divine instruction given to him in a dream and how he won the prize money and used it for renovoting the mandapam etc., in the Vatapatrasayee temple at Srivilliputtur has been already related in the chapter dealing with the Srivilliputtur divya desam.