Ranganatha Temple is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hin ...

Thiruneermalai Thiruneermalai is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. It lies in the Chengalpattu district. Originally a town panchayat, Thiruneermalai is now a part of Pammal Zone under Tambaram Municipal Corporation. The postal code of the neighbourhood ...

, a suburb of

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. While the Sthalathipadi (presiding deity) is Neervanna Perumal, all utsavams (Celebrations) are for Lord

Ranganatha Ranganatha, also known as Ranganathar, Rangan, Aranganathar, Sri Ranga, and Thenarangathan, is a Hindu deity with his origin in South India, serving as the chief deity of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. The deity is a resting form o ...

. The complex is in two parts one at the base of the hill for the Staladhipadhi Neervanan (Ninran-Standing Posture), housing shrines of his consort Animamalar Mangai thayar, Kalyana Ramar and

Andal Andal ( ta, ஆண்டாள்), also known as Kothai, Nachiyar, and Godadevi, was the only female Alvar among the twelve Hindu poet-saints of South India. She was posthumously considered an avatar of the goddess Bhudevi. As with the A ...

. Shrine for Anjaneya (

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

) is to the right as one climbs up to the hill shrine. The temple complex up the hill has three shrines for Lord Ranganatha (Kidanthaan – in reclining posture), Trivikrama (Nadanthaan – in walking posture), Lord

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

(Irundhaan – in sitting posture) and a Shrine for Ranaganayaki Thayar (facing East). It is a double ''

prakaram A prakaram (प्राकारः in Sanskrit), also spelled pragaram or pragaaram) in Indian architecture is an outer part around the Hindu temple sanctum. They may be enclosed or open and are typically enclosed for the innermost prakaram. As ...

'' (outer courtyard) temple. The

Garuda Garuda ( Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garu ...

shrine faces the Lord. The view from the top of the hill is wonderful. Two Bramhotsavams and Uttiram (Birth star of mother goddess) are celebrated. Bramhotsavam of Neervanan is held in the Tamil month of Panguni (mid March – mid April) and for Rangantha Perumal in the month of Chittirai (mid April – mid May). While Panguni uttiram is celebrated for

Ranganayaki Ranganayaki, is the presiding goddess of the Sri Ranganathaswami Temple at Srirangam. Affectionately called ''Thayar'' ("Holy Mother" in Tamil), she is the consort of Ranganatha, the presiding deity of Srirangam. She is regarded as the manifest ...

Thayar, Masi Uttiram is the Birth star of Animamalar Mangai, the consort of Neervanna Perumal. The temple rituals are conducted as per Vaikanasa Agamam.

Legend

''Brahmanda Purana'' refers this place Toyatri, meaning a mountain surrounded by water. ''Thiruneermalai'', the modern

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...

name also means a sacred mountain surrounded by water. Among the eight sacred Vishnu temples where he manifested himself called "Ashtaswayamvaka Kshetra". As per Hindu legend, sage

Valmiki Valmiki (; Sanskrit: वाल्मीकि, ) is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature. The epic ''Ramayana'', dated variously from the 5th century BCE to first century BCE, is attributed to him, based on the attributio ...

, after composing the epic ''

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...

'', worshipped Ranganatha at the top of the hill. When he came downhills, he wanted to have a view of

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bei ...

, who appeared for the devotee.

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with '' Maya'' ("Illusion"). A ...

appeared as

Sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...

, Adi Seshan appeared as

Lakshmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic '' Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja ( ...

, Vishnu's

shankha A Shankha ( conch shell) has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. It is the shell of any suitable sea snail which had a hole made for the performer's embouchure. In Hindu history, the shankha is a sacred emblem of The Hindu preserver god ...

Bharatha Bharatha People (, ) also known as Bharatakula and Paravar, is an ethnicity in the island of Sri Lanka. Earlier considered a caste of the Sri Lankan Tamils, they got classified as separate ethnic group in the 2001 census. They are descendant o ...

sudarshana chakra Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्र, lit. "disc of auspicious vision", IAST: Sudarśana Chakra) is a spinning, celestial discus with 108 serrated edges, attributed to Vishnu and Krishna in the Hindu scriptures. The Su ...

as Shatrugun and

in the form of

History

The temple has lot of inscriptions from the

Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...

and later Pandyas, indicating generous contributions to the temple.

Architecture

Neervannaperumal Temple, Thiruneermalai, Chennai, India

Thiruneermalai Hill Entrance, Chennai, India

There are two temples, one at the top of the hill and other in the foothills. In all, the temple occupies an area of , with the lower shrine covering . The presiding deity of the temple in the foothills is Neervana Perumal in standing posture. Ranganatha is the presiding deity uphills and the shrine, ''

vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also men ...

'' above the sanctum is called Ranga Vimana. There are images of Trivikrama and Narasimha around the first precinct. The temple tank is called ksheera

Pushkarini Temple tanks are wells or reservoirs built as part of the temple complex near Indian temples. They are called pushkarini, kalyani, kunda, sarovara, tirtha, talab, pukhuri, ambalakkuḷam, etc. in different languages and regions of India. Some t ...

and it is believed to feed the waters of

Vaikunta Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, An ...

, the Ocean of Milk. Karunya Pushkarini is the second tank, which is believed to have formed from the weeping of Narasimha, who was moved by the divine prayers of Prahalad. There are two tanks called Swarna Pushkarini and Siddha Pushkarini.

Religious importance

As per a legend,

Thirumangai Azhwar Thirumangai Alvar (IAST: ), also referred to as Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar ...

was held up in the top of the mountain for six months as the place was surrounded by water. Thirumangai Azhwar has glorified the temple highlighting the unique aspect of the temple where Vishnu is seen in four different poses of Standing (Neervana Perumal), Lying (Sriranganathar), Sitting (Narasimha) and walking (Trivikrama). Bhoothath Azhwar also composed hymns praising the temple.

Acccesibility

There are MTC buses to

from

Poonamallee Poonamallee is suburb of Chennai, India under the Chennai Metropolitan Area. It was historically called ''Pushpagirimangalam'', later renamed in Tamil as ''Poovirundhavalli'' (), and now colloquially called as ''Poondhamalli''. It is a town in ...

, Kundrathur,

Pallavaram Pallavaram (originally Pallava Puram) is a residential neighborhood of Chennai, India. Pallavaram was a part of Alandur until August 2015 and since then a new taluk with headquarters at Pallavaram was created. The town is known for its cant ...

Tambaram Tambaram is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Located in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, it is governed by Tambaram City Municipal Corporation and is a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area. Etymology Tambaram is an ancient to ...

Darshan, Sevas and Festivals

Bramhotsatavams: Panguni and Chittirai Uttiram Masi (Animamalar mangai Thayar) and Panguni (Ranganayaki Thayar) Rathasapthami Thirunakstrams of Azhwars and Acharyans Pavitrotsavam

Composers

Thirumangai Alvar and

Bhoothathalvar Bhoothath Alvar () was one of the twelve ''Alvar'' saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of ''alvars'' are compiled as ''Naalayira Divya Prabandham'' and the 108 temples reve ...

have composed several paasurams (hymns) on Lord Neervannaswamy. These compositions are part of the Naalayira

Divya Prabandha The Naalayira Divya Prabandham ( ta, நாலாயிரத் திவ்வியப் பிரபந்தம், lit=Four Thousand Divine Hymns, translit=Nālāyira Divya Prabandham) is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by ...

References

{{List of Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu Hindu temples in Kanchipuram district Divya Desams