page_title: Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal temple
section_title: Architecture
hierarchical_section_title: Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal temple / Architecture
caption_attribution_description: English: Kalamegaperumal Temple,Tirumohur
context_page_description: Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal Temple is a hindu temple near Melur, Madurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Neelamegha Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Tirukannapura Nayagi. As per Hindu legend, the presiding deity is believed to have appeared as a female Mohini to lure the asuras to support Devas, the celestial deities. The temple is also known as Mohanapuram and Mohanakshetram.
  A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and three of its four bodies of water. The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower and a huge temple tank in front of it. The temple is believed to have been built by the Pandyas, with later additions from the Madurai Nayaks.
  Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Brahmotsavam, celebrated during the Tamil month of Vaikasi, being the most prominent.
context_section_description: The temple is situated on a 2.5-acre (10,000 m²) land area, and has a 5 tier rajagopuram. The temple is more than 2000 years old and has been referred to in akanaṉūṟu, Padhitrupathu, maduraikanchi and also in one of the five great epics of Tamil literature, silappatikaram. There are four prakarams(closed precincts of a temple) inside the temple. The main deity (Moolavar) is Kalamegaperumal in panchayudha kolam and in a standing posture, Thayar - Mogavalli, Utsavar - Thirumogur Aabthan, Theertham - Kshirabtha Pushkarini, Thala Viruksham - Vilvam and Vimanam - Kethaki Vimanam. The Prathanasayana appearance of the main deity is not found anywhere in 108 divya desam temples. The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram (gateway tower). There are columned pillars in the hall leading to the Garuda hall, which also has a small gopuram. The sanctum houses the shrine of Kalamegha and also has the images of Bhoodevi and Sridevi. The major feature is that the unlike other temples, the Devis do not touch the feet of the presiding deity. A separate shrine accommodates the image of Anantasayi Vishnu. The consort of the presiding deity, Tirumohurvalli (also called Mohanavalli) is housed in a separate shrine.
  The front of the Sudarshana Chakra is Chakrathazhvar and the back side is Narasingha Perumal, situated amidst 48 fairies and inside the six circles there are 16 aayuthams with 154 letters. The letters are believed to be text from Bhijakshara Mantra. Perumal is depicted with 16 hands and three eyes glowing like fire. The image of Chakrathazwhar in the temple is depicted with sixteen hands each holding different weapons. On the reverse side of the image, Narsimha is depicted.
caption: Shrines
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