A large number of devotees offered worship to Sri Annan Perumal and his consort Sri Alarmelumangai Thaayar at Annan Koil near Thirunangur in the district during the “samprokshanam” on Wednesday.
One of the 108 ‘Divya Desams’, Annan Koil acquired its name after Tirumangai Alwar in one of his hymns glorified the presiding deity as ‘Anna’. Subsequently, the deity came to be known as Sri Annan Perumal.
Water from the holy ‘gadam’ was poured on the ‘kalasam’ of the ‘Rajagopuram’ at 7.15 a.m. in Mithuna lagnam, marking the ‘samprokshanam’ on Wednesday. Simultaneously, the ‘vimanams’ of Sri Alarmelumangai Thaayar and other shrines were consecrated.
The seven-kaala puja in connection with the consecration was started on June 4. The last of this puja commenced at 5 a.m. on Wednesday. A team of 50 Vedic scholars led by V. Seshadri Bhattachariar and S.R. Madhava Bhattar performed the rituals.
New facilities
The ‘balalayam’ for the temple was performed on March 22, 2015 and work had been executed at an estimate of Rs. 1.50 crore. ‘Samprokshanam’ was last performed at the temple on June 23, 1999 and prior to it on September 9, 1983.
Known as Tiruvellakulam in the scriptures, the temple has a pond called Sethapushkarani which was renovated recently.
The embankment around the pond had been strengthened and steps leading down the tank repaired.
The height of the temple compound had been raised from 13 feet to 16 feet. A new ‘neerazhi mandapam’ has been built in the middle of the tank. Construction of ‘vahana mandapam’, temple car shed, and ‘yagasala’ were the other important components of the renovation work. The ‘prakaram’ all around the temple has been beautified with the laying of stone slabs.
S. Palanisamy, District Collector, was present.
Published - June 09, 2016 12:00 am IST
