திருநறையூர்

Thirumangai Alvar sang mangalasasanam here, and the temple is one of the very few Divya Desams where the goddess (Vanchulavalli, an aspect of Lakshmi also called Nachiyar) is given greater ritual precedence than Perumal himself, to the point that the shrine is popularly known simply as Nachiyar Kovil, "the goddess's temple," rather than by the god's name.

The temple's best-known feature is its stone (Kal) Garuda image, carried in procession on festival days. Devotees traditionally believe the idol's weight doubles at each successive gate it passes through on the way out of the sanctum (requiring 4, then 8, then 16, 32, 64 and finally 128 bearers to carry it by the time it reaches the main entrance) and that the same progression reverses, growing lighter gate by gate, as it is carried back in.

Temple tradition holds that the sage Medhavi was performing penance here when the goddess Lakshmi appeared before him in the form of a child; he raised her as his own daughter in his hermitage. Vishnu, searching for his consort, arrived at Nachiyar Kovil mounted on Garuda and found her here, and temple tradition further holds that Vishnu resolved that in the Kali Yuga to come, men would need to learn to listen to women, choosing to demonstrate this himself by giving Vanchulavalli precedence in ritual, including being served before him at every festival.

Beyond the legend, the temple is traditionally said to have been founded by the early Chola king Kochengat Cholan, placing its origins as far back as the 3rd century CE, with the Medieval Cholas and later the Vijayanagara kings recorded as patrons in subsequent centuries, making this one of the more anciently-founded temples among the Kumbakonam-area Divya Desams, even though most of its standing structure reflects later building phases.

A granite wall encloses the full temple complex, within which a five-tier Rajagopuram serves as the main gateway, modest in height compared to the great gopurams of Srirangam or Kanchipuram, but a substantial landmark for a temple of this size. The sanctum itself is crowned by the Srinivasa Hema Vimanam.

The temple's best-attended festival day is built around the Kal Garuda procession, when devotees gather specifically to watch the progressively larger teams of bearers needed to carry the idol as its traditional weight increases gate by gate.

Daily worship follows the customary schedule of Chola Nadu Divya Desams, with the goddess given ritual precedence at every festival occasion.