Historical Period12c CE
8th–12th c. CE (Chola)
📷 Navaneethpp · [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
Deities
Sowriraja-perumal
Sowriraja of Thirukkannapuram — Krishna's long-haired form
Sowriraja of Thirukkannapuram — Krishna's long-haired form
No primary scriptures are catalogued for this entry yet. If you know of scriptural references we have missed, please contribute them.
The 108 Divya Desams are the sacred abodes of Vishnu sung by the 12 Alvar saint-poets. Compiled as the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Nathamuni (9th c. CE), this corpus of 4,000 pasurams defines the sacred geography of Tamil Vaishnavism and the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya.
The deity wears a long flowing braid of hair (sowri), unique in Vishnu iconography. This was the deity's debt-paying to Tirumangai-alvar — Vishnu promised him "your hair shall be mine" (en kesam tan kesam). The Arayar-sevai here is among the most authentic surviving forms of Nammalvar's Tiruvaymozhi.
Daily 5-fold puja; Vaikuntha Ekadashi (Margazhi full moon) is the holiest day — the Paramapada-vasal gate is opened; passing through is said to grant moksha. Annual Brahmotsavam (10 days) features Vishnu on all his vahanas (Garuda, Hanumanta, Shesha, Hamsa, Simha, Ratha).
Each Divya Desam's sanctity rests on how many Alvars sang of it and how many pasurams — this is the mangalashasanam. Tamil Vaishnavism treats the 4,000 pasurams as Dravida Veda — equivalent to the Sanskrit Vedas.
