Kaisinavendhan Temple

Kaisinavendhan Temple is a Hindu Vishnu temple located in Thirupuliyangudi village in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the Nava Tirupati temples and one of the 108 Divya Desams revered in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Kaisinavendhan with Goddess Malarmagal, the temple exhibits Dravidian architecture and is notable for its pilgrimage importance along the Thamirabarani River region.

Visitors can expect a small, traditional South Indian temple complex with Dravidian architecture, a sanctum enshrining Vishnu as Kaisinavendhan in reclining posture, and shrines for Malarmagal and other deities. The temple is set in a quiet rural village environment near the Thamirabarani River, with a gopuram, pillared mandapams, and stone sculptures. The atmosphere is devotional and uncrowded except during festivals.

Thirupuliyangudi temple is one of the Nava Tirupati temples traditionally associated with the Pandya period and later patronage. It is classified as one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples glorified by the Alvar saint Nammalvar in the 9th century Nalayira Divya Prabandham. The temple's legend connects it to sages and the Puliyangudi sthala purana.

The temple holds religious importance for Vaishnavites as part of the Nava Tirupati pilgrimage circuit along the Thamirabarani River. It is dedicated to Vishnu as Kaisinavendhan and is associated with the Navagraha Chandra. Garuda Sevai festival, when deities from all nine Nava Tirupati temples are brought together at Alwarthirunagari, is a major cultural event for devotees.