Sri Oppiliappan Koil
Moolavar : Sri Oppiliappan
Thaayaar : Bhoomadevi
Uthsavar : Ponnappan
Sthala Vriksham : ThuLasi
Pushkarini : AhOraatra Pushkarini/Pagaliraa Poigai
Vimaanam : Sudhdhananda Vimaanam
Perumal ThirukkOlam : Nindra ThirukkOlam
MangaLaasaasanam : Poigai Aazhwar, Nammaazhwar, Thirumangai Aazhwar
This Chozha Naadu divya desam is located in Thirunageswaram which is 7 kms from Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district.
The thulasi plant prayed to the Lord to grant her the same status as Goddess Mahalakshmi who resided on Lord Mahavishnu’s chest. Pleased with her devotion, the Lord blessed thulasi and asked her to do penance in ThiruviNNagaram saying that soon Mahalakshmi would incarnate on the earth. Rishi Markandeya performed penance here and wished for Goddess Lakshmi to be born as his daughter. One day, the sage found a female child in a garden full of thulasi plants. He took the baby home. He named her Bhoomidevi as she was found on the earth(Bhoomi) under a thulasi plant and brought her up as his own daughter.
When Bhoomidevi came of age, Lord Narayana disguised as an old man came to the sage and requested her hand in marriage. Rishi Markandeya explained to the old man that Bhoomidevi was still too young and did not even know how to prepare food with the proper amount of salt. The old man was insistent and said that he would accept whatever she made with love even if it was without any salt. The hesitant sage prayed to Lord Narayana and realized through his divine vision that the old man was none other than Lord Mahavishnu himself. The Lord then appeared in his true form. Elated, the sage performed the marriage of his daughter with the Lord. He then requested the Lord that since He had promised to accept food without salt all who came to seek His blessings in ThiruviNNagaram should also be served prasadam without salt. As Bhoomidevi was born to Rishi Markandeya, this place is also known as Markandeya Kshetram.
Since Bhoomidevi was found under a thulasi plant, the Lord here is adorned with thulasi garlands. In this way, thulasi got her wish to be close to the Lord at all times. Thulasi Vanam is another name given to this holy place.
As the Lord here agreed to accept food without any salt, He is known as LavaNa Varjitha Venkatesha…lavaNam meaning salt, varjitha meaning devoid/without, Venkatesha meaning Narayana. He is also known as Oppiliappan…meaning unequal/matchless.
Lord Oppiliappan appeared before Nammaazhwar in five forms here as Ponappan, MaNiappan, Muththappan, Yenappan, ThiruviNNagarappan. There are separate sannidhis for all the five forms in this temple. However, Rishi Markandeya and Bhoomidevi reside in the same sannidhi as Lord Oppiliappan.
Uthsavams :
Sravana Dheepam is celebrated every month on the date of ThiruvONam nakshatram(birth star of Lord Oppiliappan)
Brahmothsavam in the month of Purattasi(September/October)
Kalyana Uthsavam is celebrated for 12 days in the month of Aippasi(October/November)
Ramanavami celebrated for 10 days in the month of Chithirai(April).
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