Koodal Azhagar Temple

Sthala Purāṇam

Thirukkoodal, the Koodal Azhagar temple at the heart of ancient Madurai, is renowned for its unique sanctum, where Lord Vishnu is enshrined in three postures upon three vertical tiers: seated below as Koodal Azhagar (the festival form being Vyuga Sundararajar), reclining in the middle tier as Andhara Vaanathu Empiraan, and standing above as Sooriya Narayanan. The consort Goddess is Madhuravalli, a form of Lakshmi, also called Maragadhavalli. The name Koodal recalls Madurai's ancient identity as Naanmada Koodal, variously explained as the confluence (koodal) of sacred waters, as the Lord standing as a bulwark, or as the assembly of devas and munis. Several legends adorn this kshetra: when Vishnu rose as Trivikrama, Brahma washed the upraised foot, and that water descended as the Kritamala river; the devout Pandya king Satyavrata beheld the Lord as a fish (Matsya) in those waters, the origin attributed to the Pandya fish emblem; and the Lord slew the demon Somuka, who had stolen the Vedas. The shrine is also linked to Periyalvar (Vishnuchitta), who is said to have triumphed in a scholarly contest before the Pandya court and sung the Thiruppallandu here. The vimana is the celebrated Ashtanga Vimana, an eight-membered tower attributed to Vishvakarma, whose shadow is said never to fall upon the ground. The temple tank is the Hema Pushkarini, with the Kritamala and Vaigai as associated tirthams. Periyalvar, Thirumalisai Alvar, Thirumangai Alvar and Andal are associated with the mangalasasanam of this Divya Desam.

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