Thenthiruperai Kailasanathar Temple – Seventh Nava Kailasam Temple at Thenthiruperai in Tirunelveli District
Thenthiruperai Kailasanathar Temple is one of the Nava
Kailasam Temples and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located at Thenthiruperai
in Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. This temple is associated with Budha (Mercury),
among the Navgrahas. The shrine is around 30 km from Tirunelveli Town.
This is the seventh among the nine Nava
Kailasam temples and is also known as Ponnammai Sametha Kailasanathar
Temple.
Shiva is worshipped here as Kailasanathar. Mother Goddess
Shakti is worshipped as Alakiya Ponnammai. Nandi murti is found facing the main
Shivling.
The subsidiary deities worshipped here include Navgrahas,
Bhairava, Ganesha, Muruga with his consort Valli.
Vilwa is the tree associated with the temple.
Most important festival observed here is the Shivratri.
There is a coconut with horn in the temple. It is said that
once a British Army officer wanted to have a tender coconut. But nearby there
was only one coconut grove and all the tender coconut in it were for anointing the
murtis in Thenthiruperai Kailasanathar Temple. So the keeper of the grove
denied the officer tender coconut.
An angry officer wanted to know what was so special about
the coconuts in grove. He asked whether the coconut in the grove had horns.
He demanded a tender coconut be plucked from the grove. When
the coconut was given to the officer he found horns sprouting from it.
The officer soon realized his mistake, made offerings at the
shrine, and asked for forgiveness.
Morning Pooja and Darshan Time: 5:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Evening Pooja and Darshan Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM