Thiruninravur

Thiruninravur is traditionally enumerated as number 76 among the 108 Divya Desams — the sacred abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu sung by the Alvars.

Tiruninravur is about 30 kms. from Madras City. The name of the deity here is Bhaktavatsala Perumal. He is also known as Battharavi Perumal (this means that he is the very life of the Bhaktas i.e. devotees). The Goddess is known as Ennai Petra Thayar’ (the mother who gave birth to me i.e. Universal Mother).

This is not a Mangalasasana sthala. It is said that Thirumangai Alvar once visited this place; but at that time, the Lord is said to have not noticed him and so the Alvar did not sing any pasuram at Tiruninravur. Only when the Alvars visit a place and sing in: praise of the Lord it is called a Mangalasasana Sthala and a Divya Desam. Strictly speaking, therefore, Tiruninravur is not such a divya desam. But it is believed that the Goddess realised the slip when the God had not noticed Thirumangai Alvar. She told the God that it will reflect badly on the Lord if oné of His sincere devotees leaves the place in anger, without even singing His praise. The Lord is said to have conceded the logic in this and went in search of Thirumangai Alvar. At that time, Thirumangai Alvar had reached Mamallapuram. The Lord of Thirunjnravur then appeared before the mind’s eye of Thirumangai Alvar and the Alvar who was then seeing the idol at Mahabalipuram said that he was seeing the God of Thiruninravur in the idol at Mahabalipuram. The words used in the pasuram are as follows:-

"Petr DF DEBVEMB nemo SOT) Brer FLMWVMN gsuEweTsSHe”

Translated literally it means that the Alvar saw in the Sthala Sayana Perumal of Mahabalipuram, the Lord of Tiruninravur.

Having achieved His objective, the Lord came back and reported to His consort that He has succeeded in giving darshan to Thirumangai Alvar and made him sing one couplet in His praise. The consort was not satisfied with this and said that Thirumangai Alvar was usually a prolific composer and would sing more than one pasuram in praise of the Lord of the temples which he visited. She, therefore, requested the Lord to go back to Thirumangai Alvar and get him to sing at least one more pasuram in His praise. Accordingly, the Lord went in search of Thirumangai Alvar who had, in the meantime, reached Thirukkannapuram. The Lord of Tiruninravur again appeared before the mind’s eye of Thirumangai Alvar, even as he was having a darshan of the idol at Thirukkannapuram. The pasuram in which Thirumangai Alvar sings the praise of the Lord at Thirukkannapuram contains the following lines which again say that even as he was seeing the idol of Thirukkannapuram, he is actually seeing the idol of the Lord at Tiruninravur. The relevant portion is as follows:-