Neelivaneswarar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ) serves the city. The temple is about 20 km away from it.

• By train

  Tiruchirappalli is a major road and railway hub of the state. The temple is about 20 km north of the city.

• By road

  Two national highways, NH 45 and NH 67, meet at Tiruchirappalli, the city the temple lies near.

Why devotees come here

Neelivaneswarar Temple stands in Thiruppaingneeli, about 20 km north of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped here as Gneelivaneswarar, in the form of a self-manifest linga, and the temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam shrines.

The temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam shrines. Shiva is worshipped here as Gneelivaneswarar, in the form of a self-manifest linga. Legend says Vayu and Adiseshan disputed who was superior. Eight parts of Kailasam then fell to eight places, one of them Thiruppaingneeli. The town is called Thenkailasam in Tamil because it came from Kailasam, according to the legend.

Inscriptions of the Chola kings Raja Raja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I are found in the temple. The Soundareeswara shrine within the complex is believed to have been built by Mahendravarman I in 640 AD. The rajagopuram stands 30 ft tall and is still incomplete. The temple also has a Rathina Sabha, a hall like the famous one at Chidambaram.

Unmarried men and women visit the temple looking for a spouse. Devotees of other faiths, including Christians and Muslims, also offer pooja to the plantain tree here.

Tips for your visit

• Devotees offer pooja to the plantain tree, especially on Sundays and Fridays.
• The temple has kept hundreds of wedding invitations from people whose marriages followed the plantain tree pooja.

Questions people ask