Sri Kattu Azhagiyasingar Temple, Srirangam

Location

Place

Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu 620006

Tiruchirappalli (Srirangam) · Tamil Nadu · India

Stala Purana

The soul of this place

Historically located outside the main Srirangam temple enclosure ('Kattu' meaning forest/grove); closely The area was once a jungle full of elephants that killed people. Villagers prayed to Narasimha for safety, and the animals left peacefully — giving the temple its name "Kattazhagiasingar" (handsome jungle God). Greatness of the Temple: The deity Lord Lakshmi Narasimha is 8 feet tall, with Sri Mahalakshmi on his left lap and his right hand raised in Abhayahastha (assurance of protection). The Lord faces west, against the typical eastward-facing tradition. On the 10th day of Navaratri (Vijayadasami), the Perumal visits the temple and blesses the Maha Mandap in the morning, then rides a horse in the evening, shoots an arrow, and leaves via the south gate. Swati star day is the Perumal's birthday, marked with special Tirumanjanam — believed to grant wishes. Child-boon prayers are especially answered during Pradosham time. The Temple entrance arch was built as ordained by Sri Kaattazhgaiyasingar and dedicated in the presence of Sriman Sriranga Narayana Jeeyar of Srirangam temple (Periakoil Jeeyar). More devotees became followers of the deity from there on. The Name As the Lord appeared here in the middle of a forest and stayed back to protect the devotees, he came to be called ‘Kaattu’ Azhagiya Singar. Utsava deity at the Ranganatha Temple Centuries ago, with this temple being in the midst of a forest and with minimal human existence, it was considered unsafe and hence the utsava deity was placed inside the Koorathaazhvan Sannidhi at the Srirangam Ranganatha temple. That tradition has come to stay and today one finds the Utsava idol of Lord Narasimha not at the Kaattazhagivya Singa Perumal Koil but at the Srirangam Ranganatha temple. Old time residents say that this place was very much like a forest till the early 1970s. It is only in the last 3 decades that there has been development around the Kaatazhagiya Singar temple