At Thirunallar near Karaikal, in the Puducherry region on the Tamil Nadu coast, stands the Dharbaranyeswarar temple — the most famous of all shrines of Shani, the planet Saturn. Its celebrated legend is that of King Nala, who, afflicted by the malefic gaze of Saturn, suffered great sorrows until he bathed in the temple's sacred Nala Tirtha and worshipped Shiva here, at last winning release from Saturn's grip.
Devotees throng Thirunallar from across the land to be relieved of the trials of Saturn — above all during Sani Peyarchi, when Saturn changes signs — bathing in the Nala Tirtha before darshan. Revered as the supreme Shani kshetra and counted among the Navagraha temples, Thirunallar is sought by all who seek the great teacher-planet's grace rather than his severity.
Thirunallar fills to overflowing roughly every two and a half years — the interval at which Saturn changes sign, an event the temple is built around.
Source: Thirunallar temple administration; Shani Peyarchi
