Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Temple

Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Temple
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
District	Tiruchirapalli
Deity	Azhagiya Manavala Perumal (Vishnu) Kamalavalli Nachiyar (Lakshmi)
Location
Location	Uraiyur
State	Tamil Nadu
Country	India
Location in Tamil Nadu
Geographic coordinates	10°49′37″N 78°40′24″E / 10.8269°N 78.6734°E / 10.8269; 78.6734
Architecture
Type	Dravidian architecture
Creator	Cholas

Azhagiya Manavalan Perumal Temple (also called Thirukozhi or Nachiyar Koil) in Uraiyur, a suburb Tiruchirappalli 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 Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Azhagiya Manavalan and his consort Lakshmi as Kamalavalli.

The temple is believed to have been built by the Medieval Cholas of the late 8th century CE, with later contributions from later Pandyas, Vijayanagar kings and Madurai Nayaks. As per Hindu legend, Azhagiya Manavalan appeared to Kamalavalli, the daughter of Chola king Nanda Cholan, in this place to marry her.

A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and bodies of water. The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower. Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the chariot festival, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March–April), is the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.