Srivaramangai

Srivaramangai is traditionally enumerated as number 53 among the 108 Divya Desams — the sacred abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu sung by the Alvars.

This divya desam is more popularly known as Vanama. malai as also Thothadri Kshetram. It lies in the Tirunelyey. Thirukkurungudi bus route. The moolavar is known Thothadri nathan. He is seen in a sitting posture facing The utsavar is known as Deivanayakan, with the two thayarg on either side. The other Nachiyar is know as Seerivaraman. gai thayar. The theertham is Indra theertham and Chetry Thamarai Theertham. The vimanam is Nandavarthana Vi. manam. God appeared to Brahma, Indra, Romasamuni, Brighy and Markandeya rishi. As stated in earlier chapter Perumal is residing in this earthly world in many holy places to enable His dovetees to worship Him with ease. These holy places are of four kinds viz., Swayam vyaktha kshetram, Deiva kshetram, Aarsham kshetram and Manusha kshetram. The Swayam vyaktha kshetram are those where the Almighty God with His boundless compassion revealed Himself to give darshan to people. In.India, there are eight such swayam vyaktha kshetrams. They are Badri kasramam, Salagramam, Naimisaraynam, Pushkkaran, Tirumalai Sriramgam, Srimushnam and finally Thothadri i.e. Vanamamalai. The story relating to this kshetra is related in Brahmanda purana covering nearly 16 chapters.

Let us now turn to the various stories connected with this holy place viz., Thothadri. Sootha Puranikar is said to have related these stories to the sages in Naimisaranyam. He said that originally sage Narada wanted to know which was the best theertham. He went to Kailasa, the abode of Lord Siva. He praised Lord Siva with the Rudra mantra. Then he asked Siva, the greatest Vishnu Baktha to relate to him the greatness and the glory of the holiest kshetra on earth. Lord Rudra seid to have related this story to Parvathi, then Saraswati who in turn related it to Vyasa and from Vyasa Maharishi Sootha Puranikar heard this story. Thothadri is located to the south of tamparabarani river. It is believed that Thirupparkadal the ocean of milk itself has manifested as Chetru Thamarai theertham in this place. The town came to be known as Vallimangai, It is believed to be Vaikuntam i.e. the abode of Vishnu itself. To the south of this

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Thirucheeri Varamangai Nanguneri - Thothadri 189

poly place the Koorma mountain is seen. The Palar river also flows near the temple. The sand at Thothadri is held in equal regard as those of Saligrama. It is believed that this is a very holy divya desam and persons having connection with this divya desam in either one of the four ways of bakthi viz. darshan (seeing), smarana (thinking), Vasa (dwelling) and Keerthana (singing) will get salvation viz., moksha,