Tirupaarthanpalli - Thamarayarkalvan Temple

The legend takes us back to Dwaparayuga and particularly to the time of Kurukshetra war when Arjuna, the Pandavamadhyama was suddenly seized by some mysterious maya that threw from his hand Gandiva and made him blabber, unbecoming of valorous kshatriya youth of his day. The mythology records a fantastic episode of his leaving the battle field and going on a pilgrimage saying that it was unrighteous to fight against his close kith and kin and he preferred only ascetic life. It chanced that he came to the forest where Agasthya, Bharadwaja and Goutama were living in hermitages and doing tapas. Feeling thirsty due to hard, long trekking, he requested Agasthya for water. But lo! the Kamandala of the maharshi had gone dry. When he opened his antarchakshu - the inner eye, he learnt that there was a specific reason for it. So he advised Arjuna to pray for Lord's mercy. Ar juna did. Mahavishnu appearing asked Arjuna to draw a line on the ground with a sword given to him then. No sooner did he obey the divine command, there sprouted water spontaneously. Arjuna not only appeased his thirst, but filled his heart with sufficient courage to face the ordeal. The veil of agnana was torn to shreds and with the gnanodaya thus obtained, he scored resounding victory over his wicked cousins. The place of his marking with Khadga later became the temple tank variously called Khadga Pushkarini, Vishnu pada thirtham and Ganga thirtham. 

A temple built in the South Indian architectural pattern later with garbhagriha adorning Narayana Vimana is having a sannidhi for Arjuna. But here, he is facing north and holding the potent Khadga given to him by the Ford, signifying his going to Kurukshetra located in the north. Symbolically, it stands for the enlightenment he obtained and also the significance of the charama sloka - "Sarvadharman parithyajya" one  should do one's duty leaving the rest to God, uttered by Gitaacharya, forming a purple patch in Bhagavadgita, the song celestial. The icon of the Moolavar is Chaturbhuja Mahavishnu holding disc, conch and he is called Thamarayarkalvan. Tirumangai Alwar composed ten Pasurams glorifying the Lord. It conducts festivals on great eclat and daily pujas with great zeal.

It lies near Sirkali, the famous pilgrim centre of Tamil. Nadu accessible by four wheelers.

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