Nellaiappar Temple at Tirunelveli – Cosmic Dance Hall – Tamra Sabha – Tirunelveli Shivastalam is a vast temple with sprawling mandapams decked with life sized images in the town of Tirunelveli. The present temple dates back to 700 AD It is one of the most beautiful temples in India and is hailed as one of the 5 Pancha Sabhas of Nataraja housing Tamra Sabha (the copper hall) – a beautiful hall with exquisite woodwork. This shrine is regarded as the 14th of the Tevara Stalams in the Pandya region of Tamilnadu.
The Copper Hall of Dance is a brilliant work of art, and is housed within the inner precincts of the temple.
The music pillars, which are pillars fitted with wooden rods, are the most impressive architectural features of the temple. The stones can produce melodious notes just like a musical instrument.
It is believed that the Divine Couple, as promised, gave darshan to sage Agastya here in Tirunelveli. A pious priest of the temple used to collect paddy from nearby houses and make food offerings to Lord Shiva. Once he dried paddy in front of his house and went for bath in the nearby Thambraparni river. Suddenly it started raining. The priest came rushing to save the paddy from getting wet. But even before the priest reached the spot, Lord Shiva, in order to bless His staunch devotee, prepared a Veli (fence) for the Nel (paddy) and saved the paddy from being washed away by rainwater.
Legend of Venuvana Nathar: The Lord here is also known as Venuvana Nathar. Legend has it that Lord Shiva manifested Himself as a Swayambu Linga (self-created) in a bamboo forest. Once a milkman by name Rama Konar, while passing through this area, stumbled on some object and dropped his milk pot. To his surprise, this was happening to him every day at the same spot. One day when he tried to clear the bamboo trees, his axe hit a stone and blood started oozing out. He alerted the villagers, who found a Linga amidst the bamboo trees. The bamboo trees are believed to be the manifestation of the Vedas. Hence the Lord is known as Venuvana Nathar (Lord of Bamboo Forest – venu means bamboo and vana is forest).
The Temple: In reality the temple is a complex of two huge temples for Nellaiappar and Kantimati Devi linked by the Sangili Mandapam which has several life sized sculptures adorning the pillars. The Oonjal Mandapam and the 1000 pillared hall are of great beauty. There is a Nellai Govindan shrine near the sanctum. Periya Sabhapathi and Sandana Sabhapati are the other two Natarajar images enshrined here.
How to reach:
By Rail
The temple is situated just a short distance from the Tirunelveli Junction railway station, which is well-connected to major cities in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India.
By Road
The temple is also easily accessible by road, with regular bus services connecting Tirunelveli to nearby towns and cities.
By Air
For those traveling from further afield, the nearest airport to Tirunelveli is the Tuticorin Airport, which is approximately 30 kilometers away from the city. From the airport, visitors can easily hire a taxi or take a bus to reach the Nellaiappar Temple.
