Arulmigu Koodalagar Temple

Arulmigu Koodalalagar Temple is the 47th Divya Desam among the 108 Divya Desams of Vaishnavism (Divya desam refers to a temple of Lord Sri Vishnu which has been felicitated by one or many Alwars through their hymns). In this temple the Lord can be seen in three levels (Sitting, standing and lying postures) and also possesses the rarest of the rare Ashtaanga Vimana (eight storied tower). This shrine is located in the central part of Madurai the great city. Madurai, the city where the Sangam Tamil was nurtured and prospered, holds the privilege of nurturing the ancient Tamil literature as well as Vaishanavism or the worship of Lord Vishnu named as Tirumaal in Tamil. Many of the Pandiya kings were the devotees of Lord Vishnu. They constructed many temples for Vishnu. The Koodalalagar temple is prominent among those temples. This temple is also renowned for beingone of the eighteen Thriupathis located in the erstwhile Pandiya Kingdom. This temple Poojas conducted by Vaiganasa Agamam. The temple is famous for Ashtanga Vimanam. In this temple there are three stages appearance of god such as siting, standing, lying. Popularly Navagraha Sannathi in this Vaishnava temple.

This holy shrine has been felicitated by Thirumangaialwar, Periyalwar and Thirumazhisaialwar through there Mangalasasanam hymns. This shrine has also received the Thiruppallaandu hymn which is prominent among Divya Prabandha Pasurams (Collection of 4,000 divine hymns on Lord Vishnu).

This holy temple is also historically significant as it is here, during the regime of the Pandiya King Sri Vallabadevan, PeriyaAlwar proved that Lord Sriman Narayana (Vishnu) is the Paramporul (Supreme Being), in the Paramporul Nirnaya Sabhai (The hall where the Supreme Being was determined).

During the Sangam Era, Thalaiyaanangaanathuch Cheruvendra Pandiyan Nedunchezhiyan (King Pandian Nedunchezhian who became famous for winning the battle at Thalaiyaanangaanam) used to worship Koodalalagar by conducting grand festivals on the day of Thiruvonam star in the Tamil month Avani as recorded in the Tamil literary work Maduraikanchi.