page_title: Sowmya Narayana Perumal temple
section_title: Legend
hierarchical_section_title: Sowmya Narayana Perumal temple / Legend
caption_attribution_description: English: Sowmya Narayana Perumal, Thirukoshtiyur
context_page_description: Sowmyanarayana Perumal Temple in Thirukoshtiyur, a village 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 Sowmyanarayana Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Thirumamagal. The temple is known as the place where Ramanuja, the expounder of Vaishnavadatta philosophy preached the holy ashtakshra "Ohm Namo Narayana" to all people irrespective of their caste.
  A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram, the gateway tower and the Ashtanga Vimana, which is taller than the gopuram. The temple tank is located opposite to the temple, outside the main entrance.
  Sowmyanarayana Perumal is believed to have appeared as Narasimha avatar to the Devas, the celestial deities. The temple follows Thenkalai tradition of worship.
context_section_description: Hiranyakshipu, the demon king, got arrogant after he got boons from Brahma, which nearly made him invincible. He troubled the Devas (celestial deities) and they prayed to Vishnu for rescue. Vishnu was ready to take the Narasimha avatar to slay the demon king. The Devas pleaded with Vishnu to show the form before he could take it. Vishnu showed them the avatar, but not pleased with the vision, the Devas and sages pleaded him to show it again. Vishnu appeared in three forms of standing, sitting and resting posture at Thirukoshtiur. Since Vishnu showed his form after hardship (called Thirukkai in Tamil) of Devas, the place came to be known as Thirukoshtiur.
caption: Shrines in the temple
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