Adi Thiruvarangam Temple is ascribed to Sri Ranganatha Swamy, an incarnation of Bhagwan Sri Maha Vishnu. This is one of the Sri Ranganatha Temples where Sri Vishnu is in reclining posture. This temple is much older than Sri Rangam temple.
It is believed that the temple belongs to Matsya Avathar time of Sri Maha Vishnu. It is believed to be atleast 2000 years old.
Legend
There are several legends pertaining to this temple. A few of them are narrated here.
A demon named Saumukan had stolen the Vedas from Sri Brahma. On the appeal made by the Devas, Sri Vishnu had destroyed the demon and retrieved the Vedas. He then taught the nuances of Vedas to Sri Brahma at this place.
A King named Shrutha Keerthi had done penance here for progeny. He was blessed with four children.
Chandra, the moon had lost his glitter and was fading due to the curse of his wives. As advised by Sage Narada, he had come to the temple and did penance to recover his glory. The place where he did penance is called as Chandra Pushkarini and it is the temple tank in the south east corner of the temple.
Devas had requested Sri Vishnu to bless the devotees here. Sri Vishnu had ordered Vishwakarma to make an idol in reclining form for worship by devotees.
Deities
The main Deity is Sri Ranganatha Perumal. He is on the reclining pose facing east. He is reclining in north-south direction. He is said to be of 15 feet in height. He has His head in the lap of Sri Devi (Sri Mahalakshmi) and Sri Bhu Devi is at His feet.
Sri Ranganatha Swamy can be reached by going to the left side of Dwajasthambam. There is a pillared mandapam. In the right-hand side of the mandapam, there is an elevation with a few steps through which we can reach the sanctum. There are Dwara Palaks Jaya and Vijaya at the entrance.
Once we have the darshan of Sri Ranganatha Swamy, we take perambulation and come down the elevation.
Sri Ranganayaki Thayar is the consort of Sri Ranganatha Swamy. Her sanctum is on the left hand side of the pillared mandapam.
There is a separate Shrine dedicated for Sri Anjaneya Swamy.
The Sthala Vruksham is Punnaga Tree. The Theertham of the temple is Then Pennai river.
The temple is open from 06.00 A.M to 07.30 P.M without any break. The timing may differ during festivals.
On all Ekadashi and Pournami days and during the entire months of Purattasi and Margazhi, various festivals and celebrations are held.
It is believed that the visit to the temple and worshipping Sri Perumal and Sri Thayar shall result in gaining of knowledge and wisdom. Visiting this temple bestows the virtuous benefits of visiting 108 Divya Desams.
During perambulation, we can see the large grain godown which was used in the earlier days to store food grains.
How to reach
The temple is situated at a distance of 16 kilometers from Thirukkovilur. Buses are available from Thiruvannamalai as well. It is situated in Sankarapuram Taluk.
