 Temples of Tirunelveli district bear the evidences of ancient kings and dynasties that ruled the region. Tirunelveli District is a district of Tamil Nadu state and a unique feature of this district is that it consists of all five geographical traditions of Tamil Literature. Kurinji (mountains), Mullai (forest), Marudham (paddy fields), Neithal (coastal) and Palai (desert) are the specific geographical reliefs of Tirunelveli district. This place is populated by people of all religions. However, the cultural heritage of Tirunelveli is majorly Hindu.
Facts about Tirunelveli Temples The temples mostly date back to the Ramayana period. The temples of the Tirunelveli District mostly worship Lord Hanuman, Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and also Lord Srinivasa. There are temples dedicated to each of the deities. There is also a Nataraja temple located in Tirunelveli, known as Sri Azhagiya Koothar Temple. Most of the temples have been built nearly three to four centuries ago. The Allagammai Kashi Vishvanathar Temple, Lakshminarayana Temple, Nellaiappar Temple, Azhagiya Kootthar Temple, Anjaneyar Swamy Temple, Sri Varadharaja Perumal Kovil, Ulagammai Viswanatha Temple, Sri Kalakodi Dharma Sastha Temple and Valliyur Subramanyar Temple are some of the famous temples of Tirunelveli District. For its rich cultural heritage and tradition, Tirunelveli is famous among tourists and art enthusiasts. Allagammai Kashi Vishvanathar Temple of Tirunelveli District The Allagammai Kashi Vishvanathar Temple is one of the most famous temples of Tirunelveli District. It was built by a Pandya King about four centuries ago. Subramanya and Vishvanath are the main deities in this temple. The distinctive features of the temple are the two sets of musical pillars and the seven-tiered Mahagopuram. The temple gathers a huge number of pious pilgrims and tourists for its rich ancient heritage and tradition.
 Abhayahastha Anjaneya Temple of Tirunelveli District
The Sri Jayaveera Abhayahastha Anjaneya Temple is a famous pilgrimage center. It dates back to the Ramayana Period. The presiding deity here is Lord Hanuman, the greatest follower of Lord Ram. The temple also has unique idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman. After Ravana abducted Sita, Sri Anjaneya led a mighty team Southwards. They reached a desert-like area after crossing Vindhya Hills. Being thirsty, they began to look for water. Then Anjaneya found some birds coming out of a cave. He then led his forces to the cave. Inside the cave, they saw a beautiful city and a tapasvini - Swayamprabha - sitting at the centre. Sri Anjaneya told her about the purpose of his mission and Swayamprabha offered them fruits and water. The Tapasvini told them the story of a city, which was built by Mayan. After Sita was found and rescued by Sri Rama, Sri Anjaneya came to the place again and Swayamprabha handed over the regime to Sri Anjaneya and left the place. The place was then ruled over by Sri Anjaneya. The place is now called Krishnapuram. The beautiful temple attracts every passer-by. Lakshminarayana Temple of Tirunelveli District The Lakshminarayana Temple is one of the most visited temples of Tirunelveli District. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It has a pillared hall that leads to a low-ceiling mandapam, with a sanctum made for the presiding deity. An outstanding Nayak sculpture is the main deity. There are also shrines for Thayar, Andal, Nammazhwar and Ramanuja. There is also another famous temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu- The Vijayasasana Perumal Temple, also known as the Naththam. Nellaiappar Temple of Tirunelveli District The Nellaiappar Temple is one of the largest Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. The temple is visited by thousands of holy pilgrims, especially followers of the divine Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. The Nellaiappar Temple is a twin temple dedicated to Parvati and Shiva. It is located at a distance of two kilometers from the Tirunelveli town.
 Azhagiya Kootthar and Sivagami Ambal Temple of Tirunelveli District
Sri Azhagiya Koothar Temple is situated at Rajavallipuram near Tirunelveli. The temple is a famous Nataraja temple. Situated on the banks of River Tamirabarani, it creates a beautiful scenery with the temple and the river in such proximity. The temple is also known as Sepparai in the local language of the people. The main deities of the temple are Lord Nataraja and Sivagami Ambal and, Nellaiappar, Gandhimathi Ambal are the minor deities. The Aani Therottam and Margazhi Thiruvadhira are the two most important festivals here. Sri Kalakodi Dharma Sastha Temple of Tirunelveli District This temple is a famous Ayyappa temple situated in Karakurichi. Here, Lord Ayyappa is the main deity. The Ganapati, Shiva, the Navagrahas and Veer Bhadran are the minor deities. In this temple, the Navagrahas are present along with the Dampathy Sametha, the wives of the Navagrahas. The Panguni utthra and the Mandala Pooja are the two festivals that are important in this place. Vaithya Lingam Temple of Tirunelveli District This temple is located at Aladipatti, which is 30 km from Tirunelveli. The sanctum of the temple comprises of Sri Vaithya Lingam Swami and Goddess Yogambigai. The Sudalai Madan Samy and Karuppa Samy are the other deities that are worshipped in the temple. Sankaranayinar Koil of Tirunelveli District This temple is a famous Shaivite temple amongst the temples of Tirunelveli District, situated about 54 km from Tirunelveli, in the middle of Tenkasi and Srivilliputtur in Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity of this temple is Sri Sankaranayinarswami (Lord Shiva). The Adi Tapas festival, held during the month of July for 10 days, is a major attraction of the place. Tirunelveli has rich cultural and religious harmony, with Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Jains forming a major part of the population. As mentioned before, historians hold the view that the place dates back to the time period of Ramayana. As far as the mythological history is concerned, Tirunelveli has an overwhelming rich heritage and for this, the place attracts tourists from all corners of the world. |
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