108 Divya Desams are Vishnu temples that are mentioned [Mangalasasanam – Praising the glory of the lord] in the works of the Alvars. Divya Desams means a divine place. It is the term given to 108 temples of Lord Vishnu all over India and a few temples outside it. The mentioning of 108 Divya Desams is done in ancient Tamil writings by Tamil saints.Only 106 of these temples are in this material world. The other two being Paramapadam (at the feet of Lord Vishnu) and Vaikuntam (Lord Vishnu’s Holy abode). One of the remaining 106 (Salagrama) is in Nepal and the rest are in India spread all over across the sub continent. Most of these have been visited by the Alwars. However, few are only sung and praised by them. Every vaishnavite considers it as his utmost duty to undertake a pilgrimage to each of these 106 divyadesams. It is considered that Azhvars are amsams of Lord Sri Vishnu and they were sent to the earth to establish and spread bhakthi marga. They had spent their conscious time in constant chanting of the Lord and absolute in the knowledge that the Lord will grant them Moksha. They are considered superior to the Rishis because unlike the Rishis (who spent their times in forests in performing yagas, etc., to attain Lotus Feet of the Lord), Azhvars spent their time among ordinary mortals and showed that even an ordinary person can follow the path towards Moksha through their pasurams.
The Divya Desams are revered by the 12 Azhvars in the Divya Prabandha, a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses.The Alvars during the early medieval period of Tamil history (between the 7th and 10th centuries CE) worshipped Vishnu and his avatars through their hymns. This collection of their hymns is known as Divya Prabhandham.
Mangalasasanam means "praying that the holy shrines be happy all the time".
The Srivaishnava shrines that were sung about by the Alvars are called Divya Desams. The divyadesams that have the most number of pasurams sung upon them are Srirangam (247), Thirumala (202), Thirumaliruncholai and Thirukannapuram (128 each).
List of 108 Divya desams
Elsewhere in India:
- Ahobilam – Andhra Pradesh
- Muktinath – Saligramam Nepal
- Naimisaranya – Uttar Pradesh
- Mathura – Uttar Pradesh
- Gokul – Uttar Pradesh
- Devprayag – Uttarakhand
- Thiruppirithi – Uttarakhand
- Badrinath temple – Uttarakhand
- Ayodhya – Uttar Pradesh
- Dwarka – Gujarat
In Malai Nadu or Kerala State:
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Thirukatkarai
- Moozhikkalam
- Tiruvalla
- Thirukadithanam
- Sengunroor
- Thiruppuliyoor
- Thiruvaaranvilai
- Thiruvanvandoor
- Thiru naavaay
- Viththuvakkodu
In Madurai of Tamil Nadu State:
- Thirumeyyam
- Thirukoshtiyur
- Koodal Azhagar Temple
- Azhagar Kovil
- Tirumogoor
- Srivilliputhur
- Tiruththangal
- Thiruppullani
In Kanchipuram of Tamil Nadu State:
- Thiruvengadam
- Tirukkacchi
- Ashtabujakaram
- Tiruvekkaa
- Tiruththanka
- Tiruvelukkai
- Tirukalvanoor(inside Kamakshi Amman Temple)
- Tiru oorakam
- Tiru neeragam
- Tiru kaaragam
- Tirukaarvaanam
- Tiru parameswara vinnagaram
- Tiru pavala vannam
- Tiru paadagam
- Tiru nilaaththingal thundam (inside Ekambareswarar Temple)
- Thiruputkuzhi
In Chennai of Tamil Nadu:
- Thiruvallikeni
- Thiruneermalai
- Thiruvidandai
- Thirukadalmallai
- Thiruninravur
- Thiruvallur
- Thirukkadigai
Mayiladuthurai and Sirkazhi of Tamil Nadu State:
- Thiruvazhunthoor
- Thiruindaloor
- Kazheesirama Vinnagaram
- Thirukkavalampadi
- Thiruchsemponsey
- Thiruarimeya Vinnagaram
- Thiru Vanpurushothamam
- Thiruvaikunda vinnagaram
- Thirumanimadam
- Thiruthevanartthogai
- Thiruthetriyambalam
- Thirumanikkoodam
- Thiruvellakkulam
- Thiruppaarththanpalli
- Thalai Sanga Nanmathiyam
- Thiruchsirupuliyoor
- Thiruvali-Thirunagari
Tanjavur of Tamil Nadu State:
- Thiruccithra kootam
- Thirukkannangudi
- Thirunagai
- Thiru Thanjai
- Tirukkoilur
- Thirukkoodaloor
- Thiru Kavith Thalam
- Thiru Adhanoor
- Thirupullabhoothangudi
- Thirukkudandhai
- Thiruccherai or Thirucherai
- Thirunandipura Vinnagaram
- ThiruNaraiyoor
- Thiruvinnagar
- Thiruvelliyangudi
- Thirukkanamangai
- Thirukkkannapuram
- Thirukkandiyur
In Trichy of Tamil Nadu:
- Sri Rangam
- Thirukkozhi
- Thirukkarambanoor
- Thiruvellarai
- Thiru Anbil
- Thirupper Nagar
- Thiruvanthipuram
In Tirunelveli of Tamil Nadu:
- Thiruvaramangai
- Thirukkurungudi
- Srivaikundam
- Thiruvaragunamangai
- Thiruppulingudi
- Thirukkurugoor(Azhwar Tirunagari)
- Thirutthulaivillimangalam(Irattai Tirupathy)
- Thirukkoloor
- Thirukkulandhai
- Thentirupperai
In Kanya Kumari of Tamil Nadu:
- Thiruvattaru
- Thiruvanparisaram
Outside the Earth:
- Thirupaarkadal
- Thiruparamapadham
