Veera Narasimha Temple, Thanjavur

Veera Narasimha Temple in Thanjavur is one of the three temples which are revered as 108 Divya Deshams together. This is a huge Deity of Lord Narasimha with His consorts on either side. Perhaps a rare sight amongst the temples of Bharat.

Just like Karnataka, Tamilnadu is not behind in the worship of Lord Narasimha. There are prominent temples of Lord Narasimha dotted across the state. Some of them are also part of the 108 Divya Desham cluster.

One such temple is Veera Narasimha Temple which is in Thanjavur. This is one of the three temples of Thanjai Mamami Kovil Divya Desham. The temple is glorified by Bhootathazhwar (to be read as Alwar, zh as l) and Tirumangai Azhwar.

In this divya desham temple there are five Deities of Lord Narasimha – Sri Veera Narasimha in the Garbha griha, Sri Yoga Narasimha in the mantapa, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha in the prakara of Neelamegha Perumal Temple, Sri Abhayavarada Narasimha on the Garudazhwar’s vimana and Khambathi Narasimha on the pillar of Thayar’s temple.

Mahalakshmi is seated on the right-hand side of Lord Narasimha in the prakara of Neelamegha Perumal Temple. Hence Lord is known as Valavandhai Narasimha. It is said that Mahalakshmi chose to be on the right-hand side due to the anger of Lord Narasimha. Those devotees who are short-tempered must worship Mahalakshmi of this temple to get peaceful.

On the vigraha of Chakrathazhwar or Sudarshana, instead of Sudarshana Dev, there is the Deity of Lord Maha Vishnu. This is the only such vigraha in the world.

The origin of Veera Narasimha Temple

After obtaining nectar from the ocean of milk, Sage Parashara poured it in Manimutha River. He then built his hermitage on the bank of the river and began performing tapasya. Three demons named Thanjaka, Thandaka and Tharakasura who had been granted boons by Lord Shiva, begin to harass the sages.

Parashara Muni advised them to stop such tormenting and reform themselves and be good personalities. But demons did not heed his advice. Parashara Muni approached Lord Shiva and requested him to kill them. Lord Shiva sent Mother Kali to kill these demons. In the meantime, the demons had drunk the water of Manimutha river and had become immortal.

Hence Mother Kali could not kill them, and the demons continued their atrocities towards the sages. Sage Parashara then appealed to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu immediately rode on Garuda and came here. He assumed the form of Lord Narasimha and defeated Thanjaka who had assumed the form of an elephant.

Thanjaka begged the Lord to spare him and requested Lord Narasimha to stay in that place and bless devotees. He also requested the Lord to name the place after him. Since then, the place has been known as Thanjakanur and eventually called Thanjavur. It is also called Thanjaiyazhi.

Thandaka hid himself below the earth. Lord Vishnu took Varaha Avatara and killed the demon. Tharaka was killed by Kali Devi. After vanquishing the three demons, Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Neelamegha Peruma and gave darshan to Parashara Muni. He graced this place in three forms. These three forms are worshiped in three separate temples.

Temple Timings of Veera Narasimha Temple

Veera Narasimha Temple is open from 7 am to 11 am, and 5 pm to 8 pm.

Only one archaka conducts worship in all the three temples. You need to request him to accompany you to all the three temples to have closer darshan and archana performed.

Brahmotsava is celebrated grandly in this temple during the months of Apr, May and June.

How to reach Veera Narasimha Temple?

The Veera Narasimha Temple is in Thanjavur in Tamilnadu State. To have hazzle free darshan, it is better you travel on the Cholanadu Divya Desham Yatra of Tirtha Yatra. All the arrangements such as food and travel are taken care of while you are engaged in worshiping the Lord.

Since these temples are in remote areas which are not frequented by devotees regularly, it is quite difficult to cover these temples. It is not recommended to travel alone unless you are accompanied by an experienced guide.

If you wish to endeavor on your own, you may try the following ways.

By Air – the nearest airport to Veera Narasimha Temple is Tiruchirappalli International Airport. This airport has got limited connectivity of flights. The next option is Bengaluru Airport or Chennai Airport. From both the airports, you need to travel to Tiruchirappalli and then to Thanjavur.

By Rail – Thanjavur has got a railway station which is connected with the major districts in the State as well as from Bengaluru and Chennai. From the railway station, one must take autos to reach the temple.

By Roadways – Thanjavur has got ample buses from neighboring cities. Even from Bengaluru and Chennai there are frequent State Transport Buses. From the Thanjavur bus stand, you must travel by auto to reach Veera Narasimha temple.