Sengkanmaal Temple

Thiruthetriambalam, in the Chola country, is one of the 108 Divya Desams sung by the Alwars, and its presiding deity is venerated as Sengkanmaal, a name that evokes the red-eyed Lord (Sengkan Maal), Vishnu of the lotus-tinted eyes whose compassionate gaze rests upon his devotees. Per Wikipedia, the deity’s primary form here is Palli Konda Perumal, “the reclining Lord,” a four-armed, east-facing Bhujanga Sayanam (serpent-couch) image also known as Ranganathar and Sreelakshmirangar – the reclining posture, rather than the eye-color imagery alone, is the temple’s defining iconographic fact. The epithet recalls the ancient Tamil and Sanskrit imagery of the Lord whose eyes are reddened with love and grace for those who take refuge in him. This shrine belongs to the constellation of Divya Desams gathered near Thiruvali Thirunagari, the home country of Thirumangai Alwar, and it is through the hymns of that great saint that Thiruthetriambalam finds its honoured place in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Thirumangai Alwar, the last of the twelve Alwars and the most copious among them, was especially devoted to the shrines of his native Chola land, and by his sacred verse he wove this temple into the eternal garland of devotional song. Pilgrims who come to Thiruthetriambalam behold the Lord as Sengkanmaal and meditate upon the boundless mercy signified by his lotus-red eyes. The temple thus stands as a witness to the Alwar’s love for the many abodes of the Lord that adorn the banks and fields of the Chola country, preserving for the Srivaishnava community one more of the sanctified seats of Vishnu’s grace upon the earth.

Festivals

At Thiruthetriambalam, where the Lord is worshipped as Sengkanmaal, the temple traditionally observes an annual Brahmotsavam with festive processions of the utsava deity around the streets. As one of the Nangur-region Divya Desams hymned by Thirumangai Azhwar, it participates in the renowned Garuda Sevai tradition of the cluster, when the processional images of the neighbouring Divya Desams are carried out together on Garuda mounts in a celebrated joint festival. Vaikunta Ekadasi is marked with reverence and the chanting of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham verses. The temple also traditionally keeps Pavithrotsavam for ritual sanctification, a float festival (Theppotsavam) where the temple tank allows, and the customary monthly and seasonal observances of the Srivaishnava festival cycle honouring the presiding deity.

Location & Access

Thiruthetriambalam is situated among the Nangur Divya Desams of the former Chola Nadu, in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, in the delta countryside close to Sirkazhi. It is approached through the towns of Sirkazhi and Mayiladuthurai, with Nagapattinam and the broader Cauvery-delta area acting as the nearest major transport reference. In keeping with most Vishnu temples, it generally observes morning and evening darshan hours and closes during the midday period. Verify current darshan timings and travel details with the temple or official sources before visiting.