Nellaiappar Temple

The Nellaiappar Temple, in the heart of Tirunelveli on the northern bank of the Thamirabarani river, is a major Paadal Petra Sthalam glorified by all three principal Nayanar saints — Sambandar and Appar in the Tevaram’s First Tirumurai, and Sundarar in the Fifth. Shiva is worshipped here as Nellaiappar, also known as Venuvananathar in reference to a bamboo forest traditionally said to have once stood at the site, alongside his consort Kanthimathi Amman. The temple’s sanctums and gopurams are attributed to the 7th-century Pandya ruler Nindraseer Nedumaran, known as Koon Pandian, placing its origins firmly within the Pandya rather than Chola sphere that dominates much of this directory’s Tamil Nadu coverage.

Architecturally, the temple is best known for its “Mani mandapam,” where two giant pillars, each carved from a single stone into 48 slender sub-pillars, are struck to produce distinct musical notes — a hallmark of late Pandya and Nayak-era stone craft found at only a handful of South Indian temples. The complex, spanning close to six hectares, also includes the Sangili Mandapam, built in 1647, and a subsidiary shrine to Vishnu, worshipped here as witness to Shiva and Parvati’s wedding.