Jaganatha Perumal Shenbagaramanallur

Jaganatha Perumal, Shenbagaramanallur

Vaishnavite Temples - Tirunelveli District

God

Jaganatha Perumal, Shenbagaramanallur, facing east

Goddess

Shenbagavalli Nachiyar, facing east

Other Deities

Garudan, Udayavar, Lakshminarayana Perumal

Jaganatha Perumal Shenbagaramanallur is a large east-facing temple with 2 Prakarams. The temple is surrounded by a high compound wall and is entered through a solid and large stone gateway. Before this gateway, right in front and outside the temple is a Mandapam. The outer Prakaram is large and has an Utasava Mandapam in front of the entrance to the inner Prakaram. This mandapam has some exquisite carvings and pillars. The separate east facing sanctum for the Goddess is on the southern side of this Prakaram. This sanctum is entered after passing through an open Mandapam and Ardha Mandapam. A small temple tank is in the outer prakaram on the northeast side. The inner prakaram is entered through a gateway which is followed by a large Maha Mandapam. The Sanctum Sanctorum of the main deity is reached after crossing another mandapam and an Ardha mandapam. Two beautiful and intricately carved Dwarapalakas are on either side of the entrance to the sanctum of the main deity. These are such intricate works of art that oil poured on the head flows out of the nose and ears. The veins on the feet are very realistically carved and the idols produce sapthaswara sounds when tapped at the right spots. The pillars all around have beautiful carvings of Yaalis, ornaments, and other deities. The circumambulatory path around the sanctum has cloistered mandapams and has the shrine of Lakshminarayana Perumal who is also considered important here.

Holy Water (Theertham) – Narayani Pushkarini (Temple tank in outer Prakaram)

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – No information

History

Jaganatha Perumal Shenbagaramanallur has several inscriptions around the outer walls of the Sanctum Sanctorum. The temple was constructed by Shenbagarama Varman, son of Udaya Marthanda Varman (1516–1535 CE) who was the ruler in the Venad region that is in present-day Kerala.

Legend

Shenbagarama Varman who had visited Puri Jaganath Temple returned and was on his way to Rameswaram when his contingent was blocked by the Karumeni River (flowing east of the present-day temple), which was in spate. As he was resting around here, he had a dream in which Lord Jaganath of Puri asked him to build a temple at the spot where a Garudan (Brahminy Kite) will be spotted flying. He obeyed the Lord’s request and built the Jaganatha Perumal Shenbagaramanallur temple and donated lands close to 150 acres of lands to the temple including villages, lakes, and ponds.

Directions

Jaganatha Perumal Shenbagaramanallur is 9 kilometers east of Nanguneri. While going from Tirunelveli, after crossing Nanguneri take a left in the bypass and enter Uvari Road. If you are coming from inside Nanguneri you will join here. After the railway level crossing take the immediate fork on the left into Moolakaraipatti Road. At 4 kilometers take the right to reach Jaganatha Perumal Shenbagaramanallur. There is a beautiful Shiva Temple here.

Stay and Food

None locally. The closest is Tirunelveli.

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