The Nava Tirupathis

The Vaishnavite saint poets, the Azhwars visit the shrines of Lord Vishnu and they described the beauty and power of these deities in their verses and they are called as Nalayiram Divyaprabhandam. These shrines are collectively known as the 108 Vaishnava holy temples or the 108 Tirupathis. Nine of these, the Nava Tirupathis are of special significance as they have been sung of by the greatest Azhwar, Nammazhwar. Doing a puja in all these 9 temples is believed to ensure the blessings of the Gods.

First: Azhwarthirunagari which is on the Tirunelveli Tiruchendur road and you will reach half an hour for the journey from Tirunelveli town to the temple. The second temple is Varagunamangai at Tiruvaragunamangai. Next one is few minutes drive from Varagunamangai – Tiruppulingudi and in this temple Indira was relieved of a sin by worshipping here.

Irattai Tirupathi : If temples can be called pretty, the two temples in the town named Tirutholaivillimangalam fit the bill. They can also be approached from Azhwarthirunagari in a distance of 3 km. The next temple taking in the same road for about 10 km, we reach Thirukkulanthai. The next one is Thiupperai (Then Thirupperai). This temple is 5 km from Azhwarthirunagari. From Then Thirupperai, on the route to Azhwarthirunagari at a distance of about 2 ½ km, a small road to the right to lead to Thirukolur temple. The next temple is Srivaikuntam. Visiting and praying at the Nava Tirupathis is indeed a unique experience.

For visiting these temples, you can reach Tirunelveli and get a tourist taxi is the best way. Many hotels are available for accommodation.