| Native Name: | Nanguneri |
| Type: | city |
| Latd: | 8.48 |
| Longd: | 77.67 |
| Locator Position: | right |
| State Name: | Tamil Nadu |
| District: | Tirunelveli |
| Altitude: | 141 |
| Population As Of: | 2001 |
| Population Total: | 6764 |
| Area Magnitude: | km² |
Nanguneri is a panchayat town in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Nanguneri is a Taluk Headquarters in the District of Tirunelveli situate at a distance of 18miles from the headquarters of theDistrict. The place gained importance for the location of a famous Vaishnavite temple commonly known as Totadri Mutt. The Jeer (Spiritual Head) at Vanamamalai at Nanguneri commauds wide reputation over Tenkalai Vaishnavites. He exercises unfettered powers over the subordinate monasteries numbering over 200 scattered all over India.
Nanguneri is located at [1] . It has an average elevation of 141 metres (462 feet).
India census[2] , Nanguneri had a population of 6764. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Nanguneri has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 70%. In Nanguneri, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
There are several temples for Mutharamman, Suadali Madan and Ayyanar temples around Nanguneri and Radhapuram. Pari Vettai and Kodai Vizha in these tempels very famous and inspiring.
One of most practiced food culture commonly termed as Nadar cuisine in which along with mutton, prawn and potato, one gets a fine taste of the tradition and the aspirations of an enterprising community. More often taken with an initial sip of pathanir & Sweets made of Palm Jaggery tells about the past of the Nadar link to palm tree sap goes right back to their Shanar roots and their traditional occupation of planting palm trees and living off the products.
Tidco planned to set up a Rs 700-crore Hi-Tech Industrial Park in Nanguneri in association with the INFAC Group and Axes Technologies Inc, US. A joint venture company, ATMAC Ltd, was floated to set up the park. http://www.hinduonnet.com/businessline/2003/07/10/stories/2003071001351700.htm Dr Karunanidhi said the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district would produce television sets for the first stage of distribution of colour television sets, which forms a major election promise of the DMK, would begin in September this year.http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20060605/354742.html
The government of Tamil Nadu has announced setting up of a pharma park at the Special Economic Zone at Nanguneri in Tirunelveli responding to the long standing demand of the pharma industry in the state. A 250 acre (1 km²) pharma park will be set up within the Nanguneri Special Economic Zone in Tirunelveli, Health Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran announced in the Assembly on Thursday.
Between 40 and 50 large and small pharmaceutical manufacturers and eight to 10 allied institutions would set up shop in the Nanguneri SEZ, providing 2,800 direct jobs and 6,000 indirect jobs. It was estimated that drugs worth over Rs. 500 crore would be manufactured. http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/18/stories/2006081811960100.htm
the minimum area of land required for establishing an SEZ – 10 km² – has been achieved.
This has revived hopes of people here that work on the Rs. 14,000-crore project may take off soon.
Disclosing this to reporters here on Wednesday, the Collector, G. Prakash, said that representatives of Advanced Technology Manufacturing and Assembly City (ATMAC), formed by the California-based INFAC Management Corporation for executing the project, would meet him next week. As per the State Government’s plan, the SEZ should have light manufacturing, design and assembly facilities, modern infrastructure facilities and amenities to attract workforce from across the globe. The industries to be established would include electronic and telecommunication components, electronic and consumer durables, light and precision engineering, information technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals etc.
Jurong International, Singapore, has submitted its conceptual master plan, according to which the industrial sector would include ready built factories, custom built factories, units of multi-national corporations, science, business and hi-tech or information technology parks.
In the utility sector, there would be water and sewage treatment plants, power plants, telecommunication centres etc., along with roads of international standards. The State Government has planned to earmark Rs. 700 crore for creating infrastructure facilities.
Windmill spare parts units to come up at Nanguneri (http://www.nanguneri.com/webpages/Default.asp
Vishnu: TotadrinaathanTaayaar: SireevaramangaittaayaarTheertham:Indra Theertham Paasuram :Nammalwar Vimaanam:Nandavartana VimanamTravel Base:Tirunelveli Description This Divyadesam is located in Nanguneri near Tirunelveli and is also known as Totadrikshetram or Vanamamalai. It is also referred to as Bhooloka Vaikuntham. Vanamamalai is home to the Vanamamalai Jeeyar Mutt. Located nearby is the Divya Desam Tirukkurunkudi.Deities: The Moolavar here is Totadrinathan, in a seated posture facing east. He is flanked by his consorts, who also have their own sancta. Taayaa'rs name here is Sireevaramangaittaayaar.
Legend also has it that Bhrahma, Indra, Bhrigu muni and Markandeya were blessed with a vision of Vishnu at this shrine.
The temple: This grand temple has two prakarams ornamented with the Pandal Mandapam, Jayanti Mandapam, Srivilli Mandapam, Kulasekhara Mandapam and the Veerappa Mandapam. An imposing 7 tiered rajagopuram adorns its entrance. There are also shrines to Varamangai Taayaar, Andal, Lakshmi Narayanar, Lakshmi Varahar and Venugopalar. The oil used in ablution ceremonies here is considered to be of medicinal value.
Festivals: This temple is administered by the Vanamamalai jeeyar Mutt. The annual festivals are held in the months of Pankuni and Chittirai.Nanguneri, differently known as ‘Bhooloka Vaikuntham’, ‘Totadrikshetram’ or ‘Vanamamalai’ is situated in Tirunelveli, around 25 km. away from the district headquarters. Among other temples, the famous shrine of Lord Vishnu in his form as Totadri Naadhan is situated in Nanguneri. Apart from this, it is important to the Vaishnavites, particularly the Thenkalai Vaishnavites, as the Vanamamalai Jeer Mutt is located here, with more than 200 subordinate Mutt or monasteries coming under its auspices.
The presiding deity is known as Totadri Naadhan and His consort as Siree-varamangait-taayaar. The postures of the Lord in His108 abodes (Divya Desam) are known as Nindraan (One Who stands), Irundhaan, (One Who sits) Kidandhaan (One Who lies) and Nadandhaan (One Who walks). The Lord is seated on the throne, with a leg folded and placed on the seat and the other touching the floor, under the canopy of the divine thousand-hooded snake, Aadhi Sesha, flanked by His consorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi, as he is seated in Vaikuntham and hence the name Bhooloka Vaikuntham.
Nanguneri is one of the most important Divya Desams as it is also the swayamvyakta kshetram. A swayamvyakta kshetram is a place where God is said to have appeared on his own accord. There are eight such swayamvyakta kshetrams - Srirangam, Naimisaranyam, Tirupati, Pushkaram, Saligrammam, Totadri, Narayaneeswaram and Srimushnam.
It is said when Brahma was born in the Lotus that blossomed from the navel of Lord Vishnu, He - not being able to look down from the divine Lotus on which He is seated - got the false notion that He was the Supreme Lord, being alone. Lord Vishnu, sensing his vanity, created two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, who challenged Brahma. Brahma then hid Himself in the stem of the Lotus, from which He could not get back to the petals, as the eternal deluge filled the stem. Brahma then realised that Vishnu is the Supreme.
Later, Lord Vishnu appeared before Brahma in his eternal form with his Sankha (Conch), Chakra (Disc), Gada (Mace) and Padma (Lotus) when the latter was meditating on the former and desired to know the subtle difference between Hari Om and Bhoorbhuvahsuvah Om. It was at that time that the other two creations of Lord Vishnu - Madhu and Kaitabha - had an occasion to see Him for the first time and as is wont of the demons, questioned Him of His origin. The Lord’s answer that He is the Supreme of all angered them and they challenged Him for a combat. The combat lasted for more than 5000 years.
The Lord then thought of a strategy to slay them. He offered them a chance to accept a boon from him. The demons could not think of ‘accepting anything from Him’ whom they considered to be their equal, being unable to finish Him off for 5000 long years. They chuckled and offered Him a chance to ask for a boon from them. The Lord utilised the opportunity and asked them for a boon to be known as the ‘slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha.’
The demons accepted to this on condition that they be killed where there was no water. Since it was deluge at that time, they thought that there would not be an inch of land not immersed under water. But the Lord had his own way. He took them in His hands, put them against his wide chest and mashed them against it to death.
When He threw the mangled remains of the demons, their unholy blood spilled close to Nanguneri where Bhoo Devi was in penance. The divine Mother who could not bear the stench emanating from the decomposed carcasses of the demons, prayed to the Lord to appear before Her and Lord Vishnu came down to earth in Nanguneri of his own accord and hence the shrine is known as swayamvyakta kshetram.
The temple
There are two prakarams bejewelled by five great structures, the Pandal Mandapam, Jayanti Mandapam, Srivilli Mandapam, Kulasekhara Mandapam and the Veerappa Mandapam. The vimanam is known as Nandavartana vimanm. A tall, awe-inspiring and imposing Rajagopuram adorns the entrance.
There are also shrines for Varamangai Taayaar, Andal, Lakshmi Narayanar, Lakshmi Varahar and Venugopalar. The Temple theertha is known as Indra Theertha.
The temple is administered by the Vanamamalai Jeer. It is said that in the distant past the temple was controlled by Namboodri Brahmins who in 1447 A.D. requested a Vaishnavite ascetic who had visited there to take over the administration. The ascetic took charge of the management and became the first Jeer of the Mutt.
The main festivals of the temple are celebrated in the Tamil months of Panguni (March-April) and Chitra (April-May).
Nanguneri assembly constituency is part of Tiruchendur (Lok Sabha constituency).[3]