This Shiva temple is located in the Thirunelvelli city in Tamil Nadu and is the largest in Tamil Nadu. It is located on the northern bank of river Thamira Barani. This Padal Petra Sthalam is revered by the Nayanmars - Sambandhar, Appar and Sundarar. This is one of the Pancha Sabhai sthalams where Lord Shiva performed his cosmic dance. This sabhai (ambalam) represents the Thamira (copper) sabhai. The temple is more than 1500 years old. There were originally two separate temples for Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. In the seventeenth century a mandap known as sangili (chain mandap) was built. There are five temple chariots in this temple one each for Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga and Lord Chandikeshwar. Lord Shiva (Nellaiappar) chariot is the third largest in Tamil Nadu. In the connecting hall (sangili mandap) there are life size sculptures adoring the pillars. The shiva linga is a swayambhu linga. The nandi in the nandi mandap is huge like in Rameshwaram and Thanjavur. In the mandap near the main mandap we come across two giant pillars each having forty eight sub pillars. There is a mandap known as oonjal mandap (swing mandap) and a thousand pillared mandap where the celestial wedding festival of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is held every year. The temple is spread over about 14 acres.
Mulavar: Nellaiappar, Veluvananadar, Vaimuthanadar, Nilvellinadar, Chalivadeeshwar, Vendavalarnadar
Devi: Kanthimathi, Vadiudaiamman
Kshetra Vruksha: Bambu
Sacred Teertha: Swarnapushkarini, Karumari Teertha, Sindupundurai Teertha
Special features:
The shiva linga is a swayambhu linga. During abhishek we can have the darshan of Ambika at the center of Shiva linga. Lord Ganesha at this place is known as Mukkuruni Vinayaka. He has a modak on the right hand and a tusk on the left hand.
In the navagraha shrine we come across an idol of Budha (Mercury) facing the north instead of the usual east direction.
Near the sanctum sanctorum the utsav murti of Lord Shiva is found to be carrying the Shiva Linga on his chest. During the pradosh, the pradosh puja is also performed for Nandi in the devi shrine.
At midnight on the day of Shiva ratri, puja is performed for the Ambika along with Lord Shiva four times. This temple is considered to be one of the 51 shakti peeth known as Kanti peeth.
About the temple:
In south prakara of Lord Shiva’s temple we find the idols of Nayakar kings who have helped in constructing this temple.
In the eastern prakara we have to pass through a large number of halls to reach the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Shiva. From the south we can reach the Kanthimathi Amman shrine. There is a shrine of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that he came here to perform the divine marriage.
There is a beautiful flower garden set up in the temple complex in 1756.
According to legend, there is a tunnel behind Ravana’s statue which connects to Madurai.
There are three circular parts (prakarams) around Nellaiappar temple. In the first prakaram we come across Lord Dakshinamurti, Lord Bhikshadanar, Lord Bhairav, Lord Chandikeshwar, Lord Brahma and Govinda (Lord Vishnu). There is a shrine for Durga and Mahishasuramardini. In the second prakaram, we have 63 Nayanmars, |Ashta Lakshmi, Lord Shanishwarar and Shasta Linga. In the third prakara, we have the shrine of Lord Subramanya with Valli and Deivanai. As in Madurai and Kanchipuram, we have to worship Kanthimati Amman first. Devi’s idol is very beautiful. She has flowers in one hand. She is also known Vadivannai. It is believed that Lord Shiva appeared in this temple tank and Lord Brahma as a Lotus. We have the Dhwajastambha and sculpture of Arjuna, Karna and Veerabhadra in the temple. There is a separate shrine for Shri Mulanadar, Anantashayanam (Lord Vishnu). Lord Nataraja and Goddess Shivagami. The last two idols are of copper.
There is a shrine known as Chandanasabhapati Shrine near Thamira Sabha. Nataraja is known as Periyasabhapati. In the main prakara we come across shrines of Kanni Vinayaka, Nandi Dev, and Pandya Raja.
In the Nellaiappar Temple, we find the golden lotus pond with a mandap at the center.
Mandaps in this temple.
- Oonjal Mandap which has 96 pillars
- Mahamandap
- Navagraha Mandap
- Somawar Mandap
- Sangili Mandap
- Vasant Mandap
- 1000 pillar Mandap
Besides this we come across a lot of sculptures. The chariot in this temple is the third largest in India.
Lord Vinayaka idol is known as Pillathandupillayar which was sculpted by a Pandya king. He is also known as Pollapilliyar. There is a stone window in this temple with twelve holes. People pray here for the child boon through this window.
About the shrines:
Nellaiappar temple: It is at the main entrance and has rajagopuram. At the entrance we come across the idols of Pavazhakodi, Alli. Manmada and Rati in the Somawar Mandap. In the Somwara Mandap we have a huge Dhwajastambha and white Nandi.
We come across the sculptures of Veerabhadra, Arjuna, Bhima, Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga.
Nandi Mandap: In this mandap we have idols of sixty Nayanmars, Tamil poet Sekkizhar and Lord Surya. In the main mandap we come across musical pillars and each of these pillars is surrounded by 48 small pillars. They produce musical notes when struck. The shiva linga is found in the bamboo forest and it has a cut on its surface. Hence Lord Nellaiappar is known as Veluvananadar.
Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga are at the entrance. In a separate shrine we come across Lord Vishnu (as Nellai Govindan) in a reclining position.
There is a small shrine of Thirumulandar (Lord Shiva) which is older than Nellaiappar temple. In the prakara we come across utsav murtis of Nellaiappar, Kanthimathi, Durga, Bhairava, Sapta Kannika, Sapta Rishi, Sixty Three Nayanmars and Ganapati. In a shrine we have an idol depicting Ravana lifting the Kailash. On the head of Ravana there is a Lord Shiva’s shrine. On the prakara, we have the idols of Ashta Lakshmi, Lord Shanishwar, Chakra Linga (Shiva Linga with thousand lingas), Kuber Linga, Lord Nataraja. And the idol of a devotee Ramakona.
Kanthimathi shrine: It has a rajagopuram. There is a small shrine of Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga at the entrance. It has a Dhwajasthambha and Nandi. On the left side we find a thousand pillared hall. Kanthimati amman is in a standing posture with Lotus in her hand. At the entrance to a shrine we have Ganga and Kaveri idols. In the prakara we come across Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga and Lord Chandikeshwar and Shanmukha.
The Karumari Teertha is in a big corridor. A king became an elephant due to the curse of Sage Durvasa. The elephant got rid of the curse to become a king again by bathing in this tank. There is a small shrine of Lord Ganesha near this tank.
The Thamira Ambala has intricate wooden artwork. There is a separate shrine for Lord Dakshinamurti. Lord Muruga shrine is known as Shanmukha (Arumugam in Tamil). Lord Kubera is in a separate shrine in the form of a linga. The entire sanctum sanctorum is of gold.
Special features:
During ArdhaJam puja, KanthiMati amman is dressed in a white saree. In this attire she graces the devotees till 7 am next day. It is believed that this is done so that one and all reach her after death.
In this temple there is a separate Rajagopuram for Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. Pujas are performed separately at both places.
Wedding presents: As per the custom in India KanthiMathi Amman carries the presents to be given to the bride groom from the bride’s side after the divine wedding to her husband’s house.
In the month of Aippasi the first days of the 10 days brahmotsav, KanthiMathi amman does penance for getting married to Lord Shiva. On the tenth day she goes to the river bank. On the 11th day Lord Vishnu requests NellaiAppar to marry his sister. From the 12th day Oonjal festival is held for 3 days.
It is believed that Devi serves food to her husband NellaiAppar in the mid noon. This ritual is enacted by carrying various varieties of foods to Lord Shiva’s shrine to the accompaniment of musical instruments. After submitting to the Lord, the food articles are taken back to the KanthiMathi amman shrine for her naivedya.
In this temple there is no Margazhi puja.
In this temple Goddess Vanadurga is mounted on a deer.
Kshetra Purana:
This place was known as Venuvalam during puranic days. Lord Shiva, to test the devotion of one of his staunch devotees named Vedapattar, made him lose all his wealth. But Vedapattar still continued his devoted worship of Lord Shiva. One day Vedapattar left some paddy in the sanctum of Lord Shiva and went for a bath in the river. Meanwhile it started raining and hence Vedapattar rushed back to save the paddy. To his surprise there was no rain around the paddy spread in the sanctum. The Lord had put a fence (cover) around it. He ran to inform the king about the miracle. From that day the place came to be known as Nelveli (i.e. in Tamil Nel means paddy and veli means fence). As time passed on, the name became Thirunelveli.
Anavarta Khan: At the southeast corner of parikrama there is a Shiva Linga which is known as Anavarta Khan. One of the wives of the Nawab who worshiped NellaiAppar performed some religious ceremonies in order to get rid of some incurable disease, as per the advice of a brahmin. She not only recovered but also gave birth to a male child. The boy was named as Anavarta Khan. She built a shrine with a shiva linga and named it as Anavarta Khan. An opening in the outer wall was made in the parikrama so that the Nawab and the son can take darshan from outside.
Veluvananadar: Lord Shiva once took the form of a linga and came here. He made this palace his abode. The four vedas became Veluvanam (bamboo forest) around the shiva linga to protect and give shade to it. Hence Lord is known as Veluvananadar. Sage Agastya witnessed the celestial wedding of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva at this place. It is believed that the divine couple also gave darshan to Sage Agastya in their wedding glory in some other places like Thirumaraikadu, Thirunallur, Papanasham etc.
Lord Vishnu as NellaiGovinda visited this place to officiate the divine marriage of NellaiAppar and KanthiMathi. Some 18 kilometers from this place at a village known as Manoor it is believed that Lord Rama killed demon Maricha and then worshiped Lord NellaiAppar. He also worshiped NellaiAppar to get Pashupatastra to fight demon Ravana.
Festivals:
- Chithirai – Vasanth Mahotsavam (16 days)
- Vaikasi – Visakath Thiruvila (1 day)
- Ani – Bramotsavam (Ani Car Festival) (10 days)
- Adi – Pooram Thiruvilam (10 days)
- Avani – Moolathiruvila (11 days)
- Puratasi – Navarathiri Vila (15 days with Laksha Archanai)
- Aippasi – Thirukkalyanam (15 days)
- Karthikai – Karthikai Deepam and Somavara Thiruvila (1 day)
- Margali – Thiruvathirai Festival (10 days)
- Thai – Thai Poosam Thiruvila (10 days)
- Masi – Masi Maha Shivarathiri (1 day)
- Panguni – Panguni Uthira Thiruvila (10 days)
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