In the city of Tirunelveli on the bank of the Tamiraparani river in southern Tamil Nadu stands the vast Nellaiappar temple, where Shiva is worshipped as Nellaiappar and the Goddess as Kanthimathi. A Paadal Petra Sthalam sung in the Tevaram hymns of the Nayanars, the temple is ancient in origin and grew grand under the Pandya and Nayak kings.
It is famed for two marvels: its celebrated musical pillars, clusters of slender stone columns that ring with musical notes when struck, and its magnificent thousand-pillared hall and golden flagstaff. The Monday worship and the annual float festival on the temple tank draw great crowds. Nellaiappar is among the largest and most beautiful of the Shiva temples of the Tamil south.
