108 Divya Desams !! Thirunavay Sri Mukundha Perumal Temple !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Thirunavay/Trimurthy Sthalam is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu located on the river banks of Bharathapuzha in Shornur, Kerala.  This is one of the mukthisthalam known as Varanasi of South famous for the performance of final rites and pay homage to departed souls.

Presiding deity – Sri Nava Mukundhan/Narayanan with his consort Goddess Sri Malarmangai Nachiyar

Mangalasasanam – Thirumangai Alwar, Nammalvar

Theertham - Senkamala Sarass

Worshipped by – The Nava Yogis - Sathwanathar, Adinathar, Arulithanathar, Mathanganathar, Machendranathar, Kadayathiranathar, Goranathar and Kukutanathar attained Salvation on this sacred land.

Nava Yogis sanctified an idol of Lord Vishnu for the worship on this sacred land.  After the formal procedures of consecration the temple remained closed for 7 days and when they opened on 8^th day the idol of Lord Vishnu was found missing.  They repeated this process for 8 times.  Finally, on the ninth attempt they have changed their mind and opened the temple doors on the 3^rd day itself and the found the idol was descended to the Earth till the knee length.  Consequently, Yogis recovered the idol from further destruction.  It is believed that at the end of the Kaliyuga the idol would completely immerse on the Earth and that would be the end of the world. 

Significance – The birth place of Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri who was the composer of the famous scripture ‘Srimad Narayaneeyam’  is situated 3kms away from Thirunavay. 

Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavadpadal visited this temple and noticed that Sri Mahalakshmi with her two palms above providing riches to her worshipper.   Sri Sankara restructured the idol of Goddess with one hand on Abhayahastha posture. 

 

Vimanam – Veda Sara Vimanam

Festivals – Vaikundha Ekadashi, Mahamagham Festival

Prathyaksham to – Gajendra, Goddess Sri Maha Lakshmi, Nava Yogis

Sannidhis – Lord Ganesha, Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi, Lord Ayyappa (outside the temple premise), Temples of Lord Brahma & Lord Shiva on the opposite sides of  the river Bharathapuzha, stone carvings of Dasavatharam of Lord and Lord Shiva giving boon (Pasupathastra) to Arjuna etc..

The legend has that Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi worshipped Lord Vishnu with the Lotus flowers plucked from the temple pond situated here.  Every time Goddess makes her first move and collects the entire flowers from the pond, so there was no flowers were left out to worship for Gajendra.  Gajendra also much loved to worship Lord Vishnu with the Lotus flower.  Deeply saddened Gajendra appealed to Lord Vishnu to find a solution.  Lord appeared before Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi and Gajendra and he passionately advised Goddess to remain on his chest to accept the flower offerings of Gajendra.  Therefore, the most pleased Goddess Mahalakshmi agreed to remain on the chest of Lord and shower all the riches to her devotees.

Another legend has that Sage Markandeya worshipped Lord Vishnu in this temple, in the meantime Lord Yama also appeared there to take away the life of the Sage.  Lord Vishnu authoritatively instructed Sage Markandeya to escape through the back doors and surrender to Lord Shiva.  Sage Markandeya sincerely followed the instructions of Lord Vishnu; He surrendered to Lord Shiva and attained immortality. 

This temple remains open from 5.00AM to 12.00PM in the morning and 5.00PM to 8.00PM in the evenings.

Jai Sriman Narayana !!