Gothaparameswarar Temple, Kunnathur

Kunnathur (also recorded as Keelathiruvengadanathapuram), a village in Tirunelveli district along the Thamirabarani river corridor, is the fourth of the nine Nava Kailasam temples and is associated with the lunar node Raghu (Rahu) among the “planets” in that group’s tradition — a distinct tradition from the separate Navagraha temple circuit near Kumbakonam further north in Tamil Nadu.

The presiding deity is worshipped here as Kotha Parameswarar (Gothaparameswarar, formally Arulmigu Gothaparameshwarar), one of the few names in the Nava Kailasam group that departs from the more common “Kailasanathar” naming used at most of the other eight sites, with his consort worshipped as Sivagami Amman. The temple’s own tradition holds it was established in the 13th century, with the Pandya king Veerapandian recorded as having donated funds for the temple’s daily poojas. An older name for the site, “Thirunaangeesaneri,” is preserved in local tradition, under which the deity was known as “Thirunaagessar” — a form held to be the equivalent of the Rahu shrine at Thirunageswaram near Kumbakonam, reinforcing this temple’s own standing as a Raghu (Rahu) sthalam particularly invoked for marital and fertility concerns. Among the temple’s notable features is a statue of Arumuganainar (Murugan) carved from a single stone, and a serpent mark upon the chest of the lingam. As with the wider Nava Kailasam group, tradition holds that the nine temples trace to the sage Agastya’s disciple Uromacha Munivar, instructed to set nine flowers afloat on the Thamirabarani and to install a Shiva lingam wherever each one came to rest, attaining liberation after venerating all nine.

Location & Access

Kunnathur (Keelathiruvengadanathapuram) lies about 11 km from Tirunelveli junction, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, and is reached by government and mini buses. The temple observes darshan from about 7:30 AM to 10:45 AM and 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Rahu Peyarchi (Rahu’s periodic sign-change) and the Sunday Rahu Kaala pooja are particular occasions of devotion here, alongside the wider Nava Kailasam pilgrimage tradition. Verify current darshan timings and travel details with the temple or official sources before visiting.