Aathi Nathar Temple, Azhwarr Thirunagari - a great Vishnu temple sung in praise by Nammazhwar

Navrang India January 01, 2019
Azhwar Arthiurnagari, Adhinatha PerumalWikimapia
Located 26 km from Tirunelveli in the town of  Azhwar Thirunagari, in Tirunelveli district district, Tamil Nadu is an ancient Perumal Kovil  dedicated to God Vishnu who is  worshiped as Adinathar and his consort Lakshmi as Athinathanayagi. This temple, one of the Nava Tirupathi (nine Tirupathi temples), is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD.  Highly revered by Nammazhwar, this temple is  one of the Navagraha temples in Vaishnavism, associated with Jupiter, the Guru.
Adinatha Perumal Temple (Thirukurukur), Alwar Thirunagari,Tamilnadu Tourism
 This town is the  birthplace of  Vaishvavite saint Nammazhwar, who composed  more than thousand verses out of the four thousand in Nalayira Divya Prabhandam.

Nammazhwar, scriptures point out, was born in 3059 BC in a (velalar) family at Thirukuravur (modern day Alwarthirunagiri).  Legend has it, his parents left him at the feet of the deity Sri Adhinathar  in Alwarthirunagari as he was physically impaired. Surprisingly, the child got up, went in a hole in a nearby Tamarind tress and had begun to meditate in the sitting posture. It is said  he remained there for 16 years. Madurakavi Azhwar at Madurai, guided by a divine light came to this place. To a subtle question, the boy broke his silence and said,  '' if the soul identifies with the body, it will be the body but if it serves the divine, it will stay in vaikunta and eat'' . Having realized the divinity of  the child and philosophy of life,  Madhurakavi Azhwar  stayed with him and complied the devotional literary works of Nammazhwar.  His well-known work is Thiruvaimozhi.
Azhwar Arthiurnagari, Adhinatha Perumal Wikimapia
Among the temple festivals, the most prominent one here is The Garuda Sevai utsavam (festival) in the month of Vaikasi(May-Jun). In this festival Utchavar idols from  the Nava Tirupathi shrines  are brought on Garuda vahana (sacred mount/vehicle) to this place. The  idol of Nammazhwar on an Anna (swan)  Vahanam (palanquin)  is brought out and taken to each of the nine temples through the paddy field. His   paasurams (verses) dedicated to each of these nine temples are recited at respective temples by the pundits. This festival  that is held with fanfare and devotion is attended by a large number of devotees. The Puja ritual is held four times daily.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alwarthirunagari_Temple