Vedarajan Temple is located in Thirunagari, a village in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, worshipped here as Vedarajan, along with his consort Amruthavalli (Lakshmi). Built in Dravidian style, the temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams praised in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the sacred hymns of the Alvar saints from the 6th to 9th centuries. It is also believed to be the birthplace of Thirumangai Alvar, one of the twelve Alvar saints.
The temple is surrounded by a granite wall that encloses all the shrines, and its water tank is located along the eastern entrance. It has a seven-tiered rajagopuram (main tower). Originally built by the Cholas, the temple was later expanded by the Vijayanagara and Thanjavur Nayak kings in the 16th century with pillared halls and major shrines. The central shrine has an elevated structure and houses the image of the presiding deity, Vedarajan. The image is made of granite and is portrayed in a sitting posture. The festival deity is named Kalyana Ranganathar, and the image is also housed in the sanctum.
It is believed that Lord Vedarajan appeared to Thirumangai Alvar here. The temple follows the Tenkalai tradition and has four daily rituals and three yearly festivals. The main festival is the 14-day Brahmotsavam celebrated in the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May–June).
According to Hindu legend, Karthama Prajapathi, the son of Brahma, performed penance to please Lord Vishnu and attain Moksha (liberation). However, Vishnu was not satisfied, and his consort Lakshmi was upset with Vishnu for testing Karthama. She hid in the lotus tank at this place. Vishnu searched for her, found her, and took her back to Vaikunta. Because of this event, in nearby Thirunangari, Vishnu is shown in a hugging posture.
Karthama was reborn in different ages, including the Treta and Dvapara Yugas. Vishnu told him he would attain Moksha only in Kali Yuga. In Kali Yuga, Karthama was born as Prince Sangabalan. He wanted to marry Kumudavalli, a devoted follower of Vishnu. She agreed to marry him only if he fed 1,000 Vaishnavites (devotees of Vishnu). To fulfill this, Sangabalan began feeding devotees and even turned to robbery for funds.
One day, Vishnu and Lakshmi appeared in disguise. When Sangabalan tried to rob them, Vishnu whispered the Ashtakshara Mantra in his ear, transforming him into Thirumangai Alvar. Since Vishnu, in the form of Ranganatha, gave darshan to the Alvar and his wife here, the main deity is Kalyana Ranganatha. The place is also known as Alvar Koil and Vedarajapuram.
The main festival at the temple is the Thirumangai Alvar Mangalasasana Utsavam, held on the new moon day of Thai (Jan–Feb). During this, festival idols from the eleven Thirunangur temples arrive on Garuda Vahanams, and Thirumangai Alvar’s idol is brought on a Hamsa Vahanam. His verses for each temple are recited at their respective shrines. Thousands of devotees attend this grand event. Other festivals include Vaikasi Swathi, Pavitrotsavam in Aani, and Panguni Uthiram.
