sri Navaneetha Krishnan Temple

Overview

Sri Navaneetha Krishnan Koil is situated in Melasevel, a non-descript village with narrow and muddy cart tracks. It is 16 kms on the State Highway, from Tirunelveli to Ambasamudram, on the banks of the river Tamiraparani. It is a major panchayat in the Ambasamudram taluk nestling in its typical rural landscape. This village is the abode of three ancient temples dedicated to Megalingeswarar, Venugopalaswamy and Navaneethakrishnan respectively.

About The Temple

The temple dedicated to Navaneethakrishna is the oldest of the 3 temples. It is an ancient temple built by ruler of the then Travancore samasthanam. It is about 700 years old. It is said that Vedic Pundits with in-depth knowledge of the chatur vedas had lived in this village in those years. This temple was restored in the year 2000 after many decades and ever since then, daily pujas are sincerely conducted. Krishashtami festival is celebrated in a grand manner every years.

The entire temple is occupies an area of around 1-acre (4,000 m2) of land with a pond situated on the South. The temple area is bordered by Paddy fields in the West, coconut gardens in the North and Car streets on the east.

The renowned Tamil Scholar, Villiputhurar, while composing the Villi Bharatham in Tamil, stayed for months in this village to exchange his thoughts and compare notes on the great Indian epic, Mahabharata, considered as the 5th Veda, with these Vedic scholars before completing his work. The presence of great numbers of Vedic pundits in the village inspired travellers from numerous parts of the country to travel through this village to reach Kanyakumari. There were two rest houses to provide food and shelter to them.

About the Deity

With ghee on both palms, the child Navaneethakrishnan graces his devotees in this 700-year-old temple — where he greets them in a standing posture. The main attraction of the temple is the idol of Krishna, carved out of Saligrama Shila. The Maha Mandapa upper walls have over 40 beautiful carvings depicting the epics of Ramayana, Mahabaratha and Bhagavatha. There are also several engravings inside the temple in the outer prakara.

Legend/Story

This happened many years before the temple was built. A cowherd, feeling exhausted after a long morning’s work in the hot sun, slept in the open. To shelter him from the scorching sun, a snake that was passing by, cast its hood and to protect him from the heat. A lad who happened to be watching this told the cowherd once he woke up that he would one day attain significant position and that if he attained such a status, he should reward him for the forecast.

As predicted by the lad, the uneducated cowherd got a job in the kingdom of Travancore and soon through pure hard work rose to become a minister. All these days he had remembered the predection of the lad. He searched for the lad but could not locate him. He then came to Melaseval and built a temple for Navaneetha Krishna, where the Lord is seen in the form of a young boy. The temple was later improved during the reign of kings of Venad.

Under the Venad rule, this place was known as Veera Kerala Puram and this temple followed the Kerala Tradition of worship.

Another popular legend about this temple is as follows:

This is about a person Vallimalay Kavirayar who translated Tiruchendur Puranam in poetic form in this temple.

Vallimalay Kavirayar was not much interested in studies. He joined as a cook in the temple of Lord Muruga in Tiruchendur. He was greatly devoted to Lord Muruga. One day when the daily rituals was taking place in the temple, he forgot to do the prasadam as he was so deeply absorbed, in watching the abishekam for Lord.

The people who managed the administration of the temple were not happy about his act. They removed him from the job. Kavirayar was depressed because of this and wanted to commit suicide. At that point of time Lord Murugan appeared before him and told him the reason for his birth. Lord Murugan said the work with respect to the sthala purana of Tiruchendur was not completed, and instructed Kavirayar to go to Cheval village and meet one Krishna Sastry who will be able to help him. He met Krishna sastry and learned that, Tiruchendur purana was in Sanskrit and his mission was to translate the same into Tamil in the form of a poem.

Vallimalay Kavirayar , after completing the task assigned to him, wanted the book to be released first at Tiruchendur Murugan temple. But at the temple he was insulted and the copy of the script was thrown into the sea. The script was found by a devotee of Murugan, in Manaimuri, of SriLanka. He took the script and was reciting it daily.

Once there was fatal viral attack due to which many people lost their lives. The people in the land were devotees of Murugan were living, did not suffer. They came to know about the sacred book composed by Kavirayar which was the reason for protection. Everybody from then on started resading the Script and worship Lord Murugan.

Festivals

Uriyadi – Krishna Jayanthi is celebrated in a grand manner at this temple
Margazhi Utsavam- 2nd 10 days
Vaikunta Ekadesi
Thai Poosam Annual Abhishekam
Thai Opening Day Garuda Seva
Chitrai Opening Day Garuda Seva Thai Poosam Annual Abhishekam
Thai Opening Day Garuda Seva
Chitrai Opening Day Garuda Seva

Significance

People seeking child boon come to the temple after a bath in Tambiraparani on Vaikunda Ekadasi, Krishna Jayanthi or other days attributed to Sri Krishna and offer milk porridge ( Pal Payasam) and butter as nivedhana. It is strongly believed that Lord Krishna would grant a son to the devotee matching his beauty and elegance.

Accessibility

By Road

There are buses for every 10minutes between Tirunelveli and Papanasam. One can get down at Melaseval (about 20minutes from Tirunelveli).

From Melaseval main road, autos are available to reach the temple.

From Tirunelveli Junction, direct bus to Melaseval Krishna Temple - Bus Numbers: 14, 14A, 14C, 34G

From Cheran Maha Devi, Mini bus every hour from 9am

By Rail/Train

Nearest Station: Tirunelveli Junction railway station is well connected to all the major cities in Tamilnadu

By Air

The nearest airport from Tirunelveli is Tuticorin airport that is situated at a distance of 28 kilometers from Tirunelveli.

Trivandrum airport is around 150 kilometers has frequent flights for various cities in India as well as South and West Asia.

Address

Sri Navaneetha Krishnan Temple,
Melaseval,Tirunelveli District,
Tamil Nadu, Pincode - 627452.