Nellaiappar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Tuticorin Airport in Thoothukkudi district is the nearest airport, 22 km east of Tirunelveli city.

• By train

  Tirunelveli Junction railway station is one of the major stations in the Madurai division of Southern Railway.

• By road

  The temple is 147 km from Madurai. National Highways 44 and 82 pass through Tirunelveli city.

Why devotees come here

Nellaiappar Temple is a Shiva temple on the northern bank of the Thamirabarani River in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped here in lingam form, with his consort Kanthimathi Amman. It is one of the shrines praised in the Tamil Saiva hymns of the 7th century.

Legend says Vishnu witnessed the wedding of Shiva and Parvati at this place. The temple's deity is named in the Tevaram, the Tamil Saiva hymns written in the 7th century by the poet saints known as nayanmars. The temple is classed as a Paadal Petra Sthalam, one of the holy places those hymns praise.

The sanctums and gopurams are credited to Nindraseer Nedumaran, also called Koon Pandian, who reigned in the 7th century AD. Legend says the Nellaiyappar and Kanthimati shrines share the same date and are joined by the Sangili Mandapam. In 1647, Thiru Vadamalaiappa Pillaiyan, a devotee of Shiva, linked the two shrines by building the Chain mandapam.

The temple complex covers about 5.9 hectares, measuring 260 metres long and 230 metres wide, or about 14.5 acres. All its shrines are enclosed by concentric rectangular walls, with a massive Rajagopuram.

Festivals

• January to FebruaryThai Aaratu

  The most important festival of the temple, held in the Tamil month of Thai.

Tips for your visit

• Look for the Mani mandapam near the Nandi mandapam, whose two giant pillars are carved from a single stone and produce musical notes when struck.
• Look for the Chain mandapam, built in 1647, which links the two sets of shrines.
• Manimuthar and Papanasam Dam are other places of interest nearby.

Questions people ask