108 TEMPLES OF LORD MAHA VISHNU

108 Temples of Lord Maha Vishnu, Sung Mangalasasanam ( Praising ) by the all the 11 Alwars - Hamsams of Lord Maha Vishnu.

108 Divyadesams - The Temples only where 11 Azhwars made the Mangalasaasanams - Divyadesam means a group of 108 Vishnu Temples, only where the Alwars ( Azhwars ), believed to be the Hamsams ( Incarnations ) of Lord Maha Vishnu, worshipped theALMIGHTY as the presiding deity with their Hymns ( Pasurams ) and this type of worship is called as Mangalaasaasanam. Among 108 Divyadesams, 105 are in India, 1 in Nepal. The reaming 2 in the celestial world known as Thirupparkadal andThirupparamapatham. TheseHymns are called as “Nalayira Divya Prabandham”, the form of adoration of the deities in all the 108 Divyadesam and these are the verses in simple Tamil explaining the extracts of Vedas, Upanishads and Vyasa’s Bramma Sutra etc …

Among the 12 Alwars, only the 11 Alwars except Mathurakavi Alwar sung their Hymns on Lord Maha Vishnu in various Divyadesams. Where as Mathurakavi Alwar sung his Hymns only on Nammalwar his Guru ( He Never Sung Any Hymns on Vishnu but made hymns only about his Guru Nammalwar ). Srirangam is the One and Only, First and Foremost Important Divyadesam where all theEleven Alwars made Mangalasaasanam. Tirumala Tirupati is the Second Divyadesam hymned by Nine Alwars and Thirukkudanthai ( also calles as Sarangapani Temple ) in Kumbakonam, Tanjore District is the third Divyadesam which was Hymned by Seven Alwars.

The Alwars are Incarnations of Lord Maha Vishnu - Alwars are believed to be the Amsams of Lord Maha Vishnu . They were lived2500 years ago. However some evidences like the referances, words, and the vocabulary they used in their pasurams, which are called asNalayira Divya Prbandham advocate that they lived between 6th & 9th centuries AD. Poigai Alwar is believed to be the Hmasam ofPanchajanyam, the Conch of Vishnu. Boothathalwar is considered to be the Amsam of Kaumathagi, the mace of Vishnu where asPeyalwar is believed to be the Amsam of Nandhakam, the Sword of Vishnu. These three Alwars are named as “ Muthal Alwarkal “.

Thirumazhisai Alwar is the Amsam of Sudharshana, the Chakra ( Weapon ) of Vishnu . Nammalwar is the Amsam of Senai Mudhalvar.Kulasekara Alwar is the Amsam of Kausthubam, one of the Ornament of Vishnu ( A Necklace ). Periyalwar is the Amsam of Garudan
( Known as Periya Thiruvadi ). Sree Andal is the Amsam of Bhoomi Devi where as Thondaradipodi Alwar is the Amsam of Vanamalai,Crown of Maha Vishnu. Thiruppan Alwar is the Amsam of Sreevatsam, a Mole on Vishnu's Chest.  Thirumangai Alwar is the Amsam ofSarangam, the Bow of Vishnu and Madhurakvi Alwar is believed to be the Amsam of Vainatheya.      

Nalayira Divyaprabandham ( 4000 Divya Prabandham ) - A Tamil Veda for Sri Vaishnavites - Sri Vaishnavas consider Nalayira Divyaprabandham as holy as Vedas and they call it as Tamil Veda. Over a period time the hymns sung by all the 12 Azhwars were lost. One fine day, when a Saint named Nadhamuni were worshipping the ALMIGHTY at Thirukkudanthai Divyadesam ( Sarangapani Temple ) in Kumbakonam, Tanjore District had a chance to hear some of the pasurams started with “Aaraa Amudhe“ by some devotees in the temple.

He was very much attracted by those pasurams and had a thrust to collected all the pasurams and started searching. He then heard thatdescendants of Madhurakavi Azhwar were having some hymns. He went all te way to Thirukkovilur there and collected those hymns starting with “ Kanninum Sirithambu ”. At that time Nammazhwar appeared before him as a old man. He tested Nadhamuni vigorously. Finally he gave the pasurams to Nadhamuni. Nadhamuni then compiled all the pasurams into one and named as “ Nalayira Divyaprabandham ” in which Azhwars praised, described and worshipped the ALMIGHTY as a baby, a friend and a consort.

Divyadesam Temples All Over India - 95 Divyadesams are in Tamilnadu - Among the 106 Divyadesams in our material world , 11 Divyadesams ( Vada Nadu Divyadesams ) are in North India and the remaining 95 Divyadesams are in South India that too major of Divyadesams ( 82 ) are located in Tamilnadu. They are split into Chozha Nadu Divyadesams – 40 ( Trichy, Tanjore, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai alias Mayavaram, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur and Sirkazhi ( Worshipped as Thirunangur Divyadesams ), Nadu Nadu Divyadesams – 2 ( Cuddalore ), Pandiya Nadu Divyadesams – 18 ( Madurai, Pudukottai, Sreevilliputhur, Ramanathapuram & Tirunelveli ), Thondai Nadu Divyadesams – 22  ( Kanchipuram & Chennai ) and Chera Nadu Divyadesams - 13 in Kerala.

There is a strong belief in Sri Vaishnavam that, a Devotee who worships all the 106 Divyadesams here will be taken to the remaining Two Celestial Divyadesams by Vishnu along with him. Hence it’s a divine dream for every devotee to worship these Divyadesams.