Thiruneermalai

Thiruneermalai is traditionally enumerated as number 80 among the 108 Divya Desams — the sacred abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu sung by the Alvars.

Thiruneermalai is one of the twety two divya desams in Thondai Nadu. It is about five kilo metres from Pallavaram station, which is about seven to ten kilometres from Madras City. This place is referred to in Brahmanda Puranam as Totadri. Thoya means water; adri means malai i.e. hillock. Toyadri therefore means mountains surounded by water (Neermalai in Tamil). As the Lord (i.e. Thiru) stayed in this place, it came to be known as Thiruneermalai.

Brahmanda Puranam recognises eight svayam vyakta kshetras, one of which is Thiruneermalai. The svayam vyakta kshetras are holy places where Lord Vishnu manifested himself (Avirbhava). These places and the names of the deities in these places are as follows:

1, Srirangam : Sri Ranganatha and Sri Ranganayaki

2. Srimushnam : Sri Bhoovarahamurti and Sri Ambujavalli

3. Venkatachalam : Lord Srinivasa and Sri Padmavati

4, Naimisaranyam : Sri Devaraja Svamy and Sri Pundareekavalli 5. Pushkaram : Sri Paramapurusha Svamy and Sri Pundareekavalli 6. Nara Narayanasramam : Srt Badrinarayana and Sri Aravindavalli 7. Salagramam : Sri Murti and Sri Devi

8. Thoyadri (Thiruneermatai) : Sri Ranganatha and Sri Padmasini

It is believed that, once upon a time, Thirumangai Alvar came to Thiruneermalai to worship the Lord. But the temple was surrounded by a swelling torrent of water and so he could not reach the temple. He had to wait for

six months on a nearby hillock. Later the water drained and the Alvar could visit the temple. Even today the place where the Alvar stayed is known as Thirumangai Alvarpuram.

The Lord here is seen in four postures viz. Neervannan- Ninran (standing posture), Lord Narasimha - Irundan (sitting posture), Lord Ranganatha - Kidanthan (lying down posture) and Lord Trivikrama - Nadanthan (walking posture). The Alvar in his pasuram very beautifully brings out the divine significance of these four fold manifestations of the Lord. In his pasuram he says that in Thirunaraiyur we see the Lord in the standing posture. In Thiruvali, we see the Lord in the form of Narasimha: In Tirukkudanthai, we see the Lord in lying down posture. In Thirukovilur, wé see the Lord in the Trivikrama form when He covered the entire world in two steps. But all these four forms are seen together in Thiruneermalai. This pasuram of the Alvar is quoted later on in this chapter.