Thiruvanmiyur

Thiruvanmiyur is a Divya Desam in the Thiruvanmiyur neighbourhood of southern Chennai (formerly South Madras), set close to the Bay of Bengal shoreline. The presiding deity is Marundeeswaranatha Perumal (also called Trivikrama Perumal here by some traditions) — the lord associated with the divine medicinal herb (marundu = medicine), a form of Vishnu understood as the physician of the soul. Thirumangai Alvar sang Mangalasasanam here. The temple sits within the same sacred neighbourhood as the Marundeeswarar Shiva temple, one of Chennai's major Shaiva shrines, and the two temples share the neighbourhood's sacred character. The goddess is Komalavalli Thayar. The coastal setting with sea breezes creates a calming atmosphere. The temple is a medium-sized Dravidian structure with a gopuram and sacred tank.

The Puranic tradition holds that the sage Valmiki — the author of the Ramayana — performed penance at this coastal site and obtained a vision of Vishnu in his healer-aspect. Vishnu appeared as the lord of spiritual medicine, explaining that the Ramayana itself is the marundu (medicine) that heals the suffering of the Kali Yuga. Valmiki composed the first shloka of the Ramayana at this spot, and the kshetra was thus named Valmiki's place — Vanmiyur became Vanmiyur.