Nellaiappar Temple

Vast twin Shiva–Parvati temple complex with musical pillars

Address South Car St, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu 627001

The Nellaiappar Temple is the heart of old Tirunelveli — a sprawling Dravidian complex sacred to Shiva (as Nellaiappar) and his consort Parvati (as Kanthimathi). The two principal shrines stand in adjoining enclosures connected by the Chain Mandapam, and the whole complex extends over more than 600 metres east–west, with seven gopurams of varying scale.

The most celebrated feature is the musical pillars in the Mani Mandapam — slender clusters of stone columns, each carved from a single block, that ring with different musical notes when struck. The 1,000-pillared mandapam, the temple tank, and a remarkable carved chariot in the inner courtyard are other highlights. Non-Hindus may enter the outer courts but not the central shrines.

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A story
The temple's mandapam of musical pillars is one of only a handful in Tamil Nadu — slender stone columns carved so finely that each rings a different note when struck. The complex is in fact two temples: Nellaiappar (Shiva) and Kanthimathi (Parvati), connected by a chain of mandapams. The original shrines date from the 7th century, with most of the surrounding architecture added by the Pandya and Nayak dynasties over the following thousand years.