Koodal-Aḻagar

Koodal-Aḻagar

The 108 Divya Desams

The 108 Divya Desams are the 108 sacred abodes of Vishnu sung in the Tamil hymns of the 12 Āḻvārs. Compiled by Nāthamuni in the 9th c. CE as the Nālāyira Divya Prabandham (4,000 verses), these temples constitute the sacred geography of Tamil Vaishnavism and are the foundational map for the Śrīvaiṣṇava sampradāya (Rāmānuja, 11th c.).

108 is the canonical count — 106 on earth, plus Tirupparkadal (the milk-ocean, Vishnu's cosmic abode) and Paramapadam (Vaikuṇṭha, the eternal realm) — making 108 complete.

This Temple — Koodal-Aḻagar

• Location: Madurai, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu (9.9205°N, 78.1205°E)
• Presiding deity: Koodal-Aḻagar (Vishnu in three postures — seated below, reclining in middle, standing above)
• Consort / Thāyār: Maḍamagaḷ Nāccimār
• Temple tank (tīrtham): Hemapuṣkariṇī (Golden Lotus Tank)
• Vimāna (sanctum tower): Aṣṭāṅga-vimāna (eight-part)
• Mangalāśāsanam: Sung by Tirumaṅgai-āḻvār, Nammāḻvār — 13 pasurams
• Built: 7th–13th c. CE (Pāṇḍya + later Chola)

Sthala-Purāṇa Story

Uniquely, three forms of Vishnu are enshrined in three tiers of the same vimāna — seated at the base, reclining in the middle, standing at the top. The temple is twin to the Meenakshi temple at Madurai.

Worship Tradition

Daily: viśvarūpa-darśana (pre-dawn), kāla-śānti, uccikāla pūjā, sāyaraṣcha (evening), ardha-jāma (night closure). Principal offerings: tulasī garland (never fresh flowers for the central deity, only tulasī), puliyodara (tamarind rice), sakkarai pongal (jaggery rice), milk abhiṣeka. Pilgrims receive tīrtham (holy water) and the śaṭhāri — Nammāḻvār's crown placed briefly on the head, signifying servitude to the Lord.

Festival Cycle

• Vaikuṇṭha Ekādaśī (Mārgaḻi, Dec–Jan): the holiest day. The Paramapada-vāsal (gate of Vaikuṇṭha) is opened and devotees who pass through attain mokṣa
• Brahmotsavam: annual 10-day utsavam with Vishnu paraded on different vāhanas each day — Śeṣa, Garuḍa, Haṃsa, Hanumanta, Siṃha, Chariot
• Garuḍa Sevai: Vishnu on his eagle-mount, most darśana-rich of all processions
• Dhanur-māsa (Mārgaḻi): entire month is holy; pilgrims come for pre-dawn neyyavaḷikku darśana

The Āḻvār Tradition

This temple is hallowed because Āḻvār saint-poets sang of it in their Divya Prabandham pasurams. The Āḻvārs were 12 Tamil Vaishnava saint-poets (7th–9th c. CE) whose corpus of 4,000 verses is considered by Śrīvaiṣṇavas to be equivalent to the Vedas in Tamil (Drāviḍa Veda). Each temple's sanctity rests on how many Āḻvārs sang of it and how many pasurams — this is the mangalāśāsanam.

Architectural Note

The vimāna (sanctum tower) over the mūlasthāna is the temple's signature: Aṣṭāṅga-vimāna (eight-part). Each Divya Desam's vimāna has a unique name and symbolism — the celestial archetype of Vishnu's abode manifesting on earth.