KAAYAAMAGIZH - FLOWER OF THE TREE THAT WOULD NOT DRY OR WITHER

  

 

The Divya kshetram TIRUKKANNANKUDI is located near Nagapattinam, and is one of the five Krishnaranya Kshetrams.

The presiding deity is Lokanathan or Shyamalameni perumal in a standing posture. The Goddess is Aravindavalli. The Utsava moorthi is called Damodara Narayanan depicted with his left hand placed on His hip, and the Utsava Thayar is called Lokanayaki. The sacred water is Sravana Pushkarini and the sanctum sanctorum is Utpala Vimanam.

The sthala puranam is that Brigu Maharshi, Gowtama Rishi and Brahma worshipped Lord Vishnu at this kshetram. It is also believed that Vasishtar created an image of Krishna out of butter and meditated upon it. When Krishna appeared in front of Vasishtar a group of rishis engaged in meditation under the Magizha tree reached Krishna along with Vasishtar in devotion, as the “Paasakkayiru”. Hence the name Tirukkannankudi. 

There is still the Magizha tree behind the sanctum, which is called “kaayaamagizh” – the flower of the tree that would not dry, or wither. Tirumangai Azhwar is believed to have stolen a golden Buddha image from a vihara at Naagapattinam for the purpose of building some portions of Srirangam temple and hid it at this temple. The Sravana Pushkarini is supposed to have eight sources of water from sacred rivers.

The annual festival is in the Tamil month of Chithirai. On Maasi Makham the Utsavar is taken to the seashore on a grand procession.