Sri Kanthimathi Nellaiappar Temple

On the banks of the sacred river, Thamirabarani of Tirunelveli sits the holy Hindu temple- Nellaiappar Temple. A temple is a must-visit place as it is one among the largest temples of the state. The holy temple worships Lord Shiva. The temple also holds great religious importance as it is one of the Pancha Sabha temples (Copper) or the five Cosmic Dance halls of Lord Shiva. The construction of the temple dates back to 7th century CE, some portion including gopurams by Pandiyas and the sanctums by Nindraseer Nedumaran. The temple covers a vast area of 14 acres of land. The premises has separate temples for Lord Shiva and Kanthimathi Amman. Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Nellaiappar here. The two temples are connected via Chain Mandapam, which was built in 1647 by Vadamalaiyappa Pillayan. A noticeable attraction of the temple is its- ‘Mani Mandapam’. The importance of the Mandap lies in its two giant pillars which are carved out of a single stone. Further,  each pillar has 48 sub pillars which produce musical notes when struck with fingers. Other attractions of the temple are- The 96-pillared Unjal Mandapam, Maha Mandapam, and Artha Mandapam. These mandapams shows the excellent craftsmanship of the people from the past. There is n match to their works now. Also, there is a 1000 Pillared Hall which witnessed the celestial wedding of Kanthimathi Amman with Nellaiappar. The temple is so big that there are attraction and a hidden story in even step. You must visit this temple to explore some. Festivals- the temple celebrates The Car Festival aka ‘Aani festival’, during the month of June-July and for 10 days annually. This celebration is grand with huge gathering. Other festivals of the temple being- Navaratri festival, Tirukkalyanam in the Tamil month of Aippasi (October-November) and Arudra Darshanam.