Presiding deity: Sri Veeraragavar in a standing form
Procession deity : Varadarajamurthy
Mother Goddess : Vedavalli
Holy tree : Bamboo
Holy spring : Sindhu Pushkarani
Offering – Nivedhana : Pure rice
Antiquity : 500 years
Ritual procedure: Vaikasana Agama
Vimanam : Chatuskoopam
History:
A few centuries back, king Krishna Paramarajan was ruling this region. Once he was bathing in the Tambaraparani river in Kurukuthurai, he found an idol made of blue stone. He built a temple installing the deity and named him Varadaraja Perumal.
After getting the idol and building the temple, the king plunged himself in meditation and did not take proper care in the defence of his land. He did not develop the security points. He prayed to the Lord to protect his subjects from the enemies. When his enemies invaded, the Lord met them in the field, defeated them and drove them away. The Perumal is the presiding deity in the temple.
Reputation:
Once a devotee of Sri Veeraraghava Perumal was waiting for His darshan after performing the rites for his ancestors in the Tambaraparani river. But the Lord did not appear. He was fasting to see the God and in midday he fainted and the Lord appeared immediately and saved his devotee.
Lord Veeraraghava appears very handsome and majestic. On the left front Anjaneya and in the rounds Mahalakshmi,Sudharsana, Boomadevi, Krishna, Vishvaksena, Alwars are in the order. Since the beginning, the temple is known after the name of procession deity Varadaraja and the place Veeraraghavapuram, the original name of Tirunelveli. Elders call the place even today as Veerapuram.
That the kings granted subsidies for the temple could be seen from inscriptions in the stone pillars of the temple. The sculptures are very beautiful.
Prayer:
Devotees seek the blessings of Lord Veeraraghava for solutions in marriage problems, education, getting children, success in litigation, protection from enemies.
Prayer commitments:
Devotees offer coconut, rice pudding, light ghee lamps and jewels. They also perform Thirumanjanam abishek and offer cloths-Vasthras to the Lord.
Festivals:
10 day Chithirai festival during April-May, Annual Abishek festival in Vaikasi-May June, Adi festival, Onam, Krishna Jayanathi, Navarathri, Unjal, Karthikai Deepam, Fridays in Thai Tamil Month –January-February and Sri Rama Navami are the festivals celebrated in the temple.
The temple is open from 7.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. The temple is located within 1 kilometer from the old Tirunelveli bus stand (junction). As there is no bus facilities for such a short distance, the devotees have either to walk or hire an auto.
The temple Archaka V.S. Gopalan can be contacted on telephone 0462-2335340. The nearest railway station is Tirunelveli. Airports Thoothukudi and Madurai.
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