Thirukkoshtiyur Sri Arulmigu Sowmiya Narayana Perumall Temple — Attraction in Tamil Nadu

ஆங்கிலத்தில் எழுதுவதற்கு மன்னிக்கவும்.

After having an wonderful darshan and blessings from Lord Vairavan, we decided to visit this temple.

This is the third or fourth time i am visiting this temple, and see how the Lord is helping me or guiding me. I would say these are all the things that count in your life.

Off late, i have started to read and recite the Thevaram and Divya Prabhandam songs. Though had a rough idea about the Thirumurai's and how it arranged or formatted , but I was not that clear in Divya prabhandam, how it is formated, how it starts etc etc.

Now see how the Lord comes to help / guide you.

As we were entering, i began to click pictures of the Rajagopuram, which was almost covered since repair work is going on. I was taking pictures of the door, and the door way etc. a elderly male was watching us as to what I was doing.

By the time i crossed the gopuram, this elderly male came near me and said "Sir, please no pictures inside the temple sir".

I said, sure, i am aware of it, i also explained to him that i am more interested in the architecture, etc etc.

The elderly male began to strike a good converstion with us, and told us about the problems that is going on with the temple. (Basically some guys inside the temple tampered with history, they removed a shiva shrine which was inside the temple, and it was taken up all the way to the courts).

I smiled and told him, yes i am aware of the controversy etc going on. As we were walking and about to enter the main shrine, the elderly male said, Sir, this is the first Temple that is mentioned in the Divya prabhandam, though srirangam is the first temple for the vaishnavaites, but this is the temple that gets mentioned first in the Divya prabhadam. Not only that, he began to sing the first song, which Periyazhwar sang.

It was something out of the blue, and kind of stunning for me, felt like the Lord (Perumal) himself has come in the guise of the elderly male and telling me about the Divya Prabhandam. Without thinking a second, i literally fell at the man's feet for giving me such an information, when i am trying to learn about Bhakthi illakiyam without any GURU.

வண்ணமாடங்கள் சூழ் திருக்கோட்டியூர் கண்ணன் கேசவன் நம்பி பிறந்தினில் எண்ணெய் சுண்ணம் எதிரெதிர் தூவிடக் கண்ணன் முற்றம் கலந்து அளறாயிற்றே

The elderly male caught me half way as I was falling down, and said that it was his duty to explain.

We did have a very good darshan and came down, all the time i was thinking about the prabhandam, the elderly male and also the fact the Lord was on the first floor of the temple, so my thinking was whether this temple also was built by the great king Thiru Kochegana Cholan. (Saiva Nayanmar).

Temple faces East, Rajagopurm present, and faces east, Kodimaram present, Temple tank present.

Would not forget the temple for all the good reasons.

Hope the lord invites me, once the temple construction is fully finished to see the...

In this sthalam, a Kadambha Maharishi had a big Ashram, where lots of vedas and spiritual teachings are taught and the rishis and the people around the Ashram lived in peace.

At that time, an Asuran by named "Hiranyan" gave lots of problems to rishis, devas and all the other people and all of them wanted to find a safest place. They could not protest Hiranyan, since he was very strong and has got lots of soliders, so, the rishis yogis and the Devas thought it is safe to get on to an unreachable place. Thinking Kadambha Maharishi's Ashram might be the safest place, they all seeked the help of Sriman Narayanan to kill him there by retaining the peace, once again. Sriman Narayanan, Lord Brahma all the devas and along with the rishis, discussed about the killing of the Asuran, Hiranyan. And finally after the discussion, Sriman Narayanan decided to the Narahimha avathaar, whose head being the head of the lion and rest of the body as an ordinary human. Since, Hiranyan had got the Varam in such a way that he should not be killed by an ordinary human, Sriman Narayanan has to take this avathaar to destroy and kill him. Since, all the rishis, devas and along with Sriman Narayanan and Lord Brahma met all at one place and discussed, this sthalam is called as "Goshtiyoor". Goshti means all the devas along with Sriman Naryanan grouped together and met in this, sthalam this sthalam is called as "Goshtiyoor" (or) Goshti Kshetram.

Kadambha Maharishi had an unlimited bhakti towards both Emperumaan, Sriman Narayanan and as well as Lord Shivan. In thirukkarambanoor, he did the tapas towards the Emperumaan and in Nagapattnam, towards Lord Shiva and got his Mukti, worshipped all the Mum - Moorthies in this sthalam.

When knowing about the sthalapuranam of Thirugoshtiyoor, an another peculiar issue has to be explained which deals witht he story of Sri Ramanujar and Thirugostiyoor Nambi.

Thriugostiyoor is the birth place of Thirugostiyoor Nambi, who is also named as "Selva Nambi". He was the guru of Sri Ramanujar, who was preached with the...

Sri Sowmya Narayana Perumal Temple, Thirukoshtiyur – A Peaceful and Spiritually Enriching Experience

Located around 30 km from Sivagangai, this temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams and holds great spiritual and historical importance. It is famously associated with Saint Ramanuja and is known for its unique architecture that showcases Lord Vishnu in different postures across floors. The main deity, Perumal, is seen in a lying position—symbolising cosmic rest or Yoga Nidra.

I had the opportunity to visit this divine temple on March 10, 2025, along with my mother. We took a bus from Sivagangai—there are regular buses from both Sivagangai and Thirupathur. The journey took about 45 minutes, and we reached early in the morning.

That particular week was quite special—devotees had come to light diyas (deepam) as a form of prayer or thanksgiving for wishes fulfilled. It is believed that lighting a diya and praying here helps fulfil one’s wish. You can even take a diya from someone whose wish has already been granted—it’s considered auspicious and brings positive blessings.

Things you may want to carry:

Diyas

Oil

Thread (Thiri)

Kolamaavu (Rangoli powder)

Plastic container

Matchbox

Kathambam flowers

Small bronze diya

Water

Once at the temple, we stood in a 30-minute queue for darshan. The Perumal idol in a lying posture was breathtaking. After the darshan, we found a spot near the deepam area, cleaned it, drew a small kolam, arranged our diyas and flowers, and offered our prayers. The presence of Kathambam flowers and the glow of the diyas made the whole experience deeply spiritual.

We even collected a few diyas from others who had their wishes fulfilled—locals are friendly and will guide you through the process.

There’s also a Theppakulam (temple pond), many shops for buying items, parking for cars, bikes, and travel buses, and hotels nearby for food and rest.

Overall, it was a peaceful, spiritual, and memorable trip. Highly recommend visiting during this special deepam week if you're looking for divine blessings and...