About Temple:
For relief from the sins accompanying each man and woman from the past birth, to offer prayers for the salvation of the departed ancestors and perform Srardha for them, devotees visit this shrine from corners of the country. People also seek boons for children, marriage, education, longevity and prosperity.
Prayer commitments:
Devotees offer nine varieties of grains, paddy, wheat, dal varieties, pulses, Dil (Ellu) etc. They go round the deities and perform pujas to the Navagrahas – nine planets.
Reputation:
Humans are conducted by the nine planets and are subjected to rejoicing or sufferings based on their deeds in the previous birth. Therefore, devotees come here to worship them and get relieved of the suffering.
Sri Rama and the Planets:
According to the scriptures, pujas should be performed to Lord Vinayaka and the Navagrahas. Following this rule, Sri Rama, after completing the Vinayaka Puja in Uppur, wanted to perform the Navagraha puja in Devipattinam. He took handful of sand personifying them as a planet. As the tides of the sea rose high, he lifted his hand to calm them down. Sri Rama installed the Navagrahas this way in Devipattinam. The place is also known as Navabashana spot (Bashana – Stones). The nine stones represent the planets.
The Navabashana Navagrahas are installed in the midst of calm sea and are noted for its divinity ensuring total bliss. The Navabashana temple has the added pride of their installation by the hands of Sri Rama and is choice holy place to perform Tarpan for the ancestors. The devotees perform the worship and pujas themselves. This is also the place where Rama Himself was relieved of Saturn effects. He was blessed by Lord Shiva and Parvathi here. The Easwara here is known as Thilakeswarar and the Goddess Soundaryanayaki. A very visit to this holy soil of Sethu would relieve the devotee from all his sins.
History:
Sri Rama took a march towards Lanka to free Sita from Ravana’s captivity. Before undertaking the journey, as prescribed in the scriptures, he performed the Vinayaka Puja in Uppur and the Navagraha puja in Devipattinam by installing them each with a handful of sand and calmed the high tides by raising his hand. The Navagrahas installed by Sri Rama are the Nava Bashanas ((stones) gracing the devotees in Devipattinam.
This Navagraha temple in the midst of the sea is a divine wonder since the Puranic days.
General Information:
Devipattinam is 77 Kms from Rameswaram, 15 from Ramanathapuram, 115 from Madurai and 47 from Sivaganga.
Lodging facilities are available in Rameswaram and Ramanathapuram. Charges in the range of Rs. 200 to Rs. 600.
Considering the religious importance of Devipattinam Navagraha temple, Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram are linked by rail routes. Adequate bus facilities are available from important centres of Tamilnadu. Nearest airport is Madurai.
Festivals:
Adi Amavasya festival is observed for 10 days during the month of July-August when the devotee crowd would be over a lakh. So on the Thai Amavasya (January-February) too.
