Get To Know The Temples In Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli is a very good place to make spiritual visits. There are numerous temples in the place dedicated to various gods. Temple is a place where people who have very strong belief on the gods visit. When people visit this place, their spiritual awareness improves, and they make sure all their prayers are shared with the god. The sculptures and statues in each temple will be very different and unique. Temples also act as a very good tourist spot for many people as it has many interesting features in it. In fact, all the temples will have a back story and specialty that will impress most of the people who visit the spot. Even there will be some changes in making the offering to the god in some places, and it will make the temples even more different. Here are some interesting facts about various temples that are present in and around Tirunelveli.
Nellaiapper Temple: First temple that is going to be discussed is the Nellaiapper temple that is situated at the center of the city. This is considered to be a very good tourist spot by many people as it is easy to access this spot. In fact, this is said to be a twin temple where Lord Shiva and Parvathi reside. There are numerous attractive features in this temple, and some of them include musical pillars, golden lily tank, thousand pillar hall and so on. The car festival of this temple is very popular, and mostly it will be a district holiday on the particular day.
Uvari: It is a temple that is visited by many people mainly then ones who go to the Tiruchendur or Kanyakumari as it lies on the route. This temple is situated on the shore of the famous Bay of Bengal. To be exact, it is 72 km from Tirunelveli, 40 km from Kanyakumari and 43 km away from Tiruchendur. Anthony Uvari and Nadar Uvari are the names of the twin cities that are near the temple. Suyambulingaswamy, a form of Lord Shiva, is the main deity in this temple. This place will be crowded very much on the weekends and holidays.
Krishnapuram Vishnu Temple: This Vishnu temple is loved by many people as the God in this temple is said to very powerful. He is named as Thiruvenkatanathar. The minute workmanship in the sculptures is very much adored by the tourists. The person who loves the temple arts should pay a visit to this spot as it is such a treasure. This temple origin dates back to the 18th century. It is believed that this place was built in the Krishnappa Nayak’s regime. The Argamanadapam and Thirumanamandapam are worth a visit. The sculptures were created in Monolithi, and they look alive.
Thirukutralanathar Temple: Next comes the Thirukutralanathar temple that is very famous and is situated near the popular Courtallam falls. This temple has numerous Pandya and Chola inscriptions in it. Chitra Sabha is a spot that is only a half kilometer away from the temple, and it has numerous paintings that are dedicated to the Lord Nataraja. There are many representations of rural gods and their devotees in the paintings. And this Saba is considered to be one among the famous five Saba that are known to be the spot where Lord Nataraja performed the cosmic dance.
Kurukkuthurai Temple: Kurukkuthurai is the temple that is situated at the bank of the Tamiraparani River. This temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan. Thiruvuruvamalai is the name of the rock in which this temple is carved out. It is also believed that the same rock was used in order to carve the statue of Lord Murugan belonging to Tiruchendur temple in the year of 1653.
Read More : Interesting Places That Cannot Be Missed In Tirunelveli
Important Dams And Parks In Tirunelveli
A dam is a place that stores the excess water during the rain so that it can be used during the summer seasons for various reasons like agriculture, drinking, and so on. Tirunelveli is a place that is famous for its agricultural lands, so the need for dams is very high in this place. In fact, there are many dams and parks available in this region for the above-mentioned purposes. They also act as a very good tourist spot. Some of the vital dams and park belonging to Tirunelveli is listed below along their highlights in a detailed manner.
Adavinainar Dam: The first dam that is going to be discussed is the Adavinainar Dam. Adavi nainar reservoir is located at the Mekkarai village that is situated in the foot of Western Ghats of Shenkottai Taluk. This is located very near to two famous places like Achanikoil belonging to the state of Kerala and Courtralam. A small falls that is present in this place is also well known. The people who visit Courtralam mostly do not miss this dam also due to its attractive nature.
Gadana Nathi Dam: This is another famous dam that is present in Tirunelveli. This is exactly located at The Western Ghats of sivasailm village which very near to Alwarkurichi. Alwarkurichi is also a very popular tourist spot. In recent days, the number of people visiting the dam and park has increased considerably when compared to the earlier days. This place will be more crowded especially at the times of sabarimalai season and courtallam season.
Manimuthar Dam: Many people might have heard of this place. This is a very fascinating place even kids love this place due to its natural beauty and wonderful atmosphere. The park in this place will make sure the kids enjoy the trip. 47 km is the distance of Manimuthar dam from the proper Tirunelveli district. This dam is surrounded by three beautiful mountains, and this is a dam that is about half mile long. This also acts as a very good background for the photographs.
Ramanathi Dam: Ramanathi Dam is also well known by the tourists who visit Tirunelveli. This is another dam that is situated at the foot of Western Ghats, and it belongs to the Kadayam village of Ambasamudram. Numerous tourists have started to visit this spot during their vacations making this place more popular than usual. In fact, this is considered to be a very good tourist spot for the families.
Gundar Reservoir: Gundar Reservoir is a place that is loved by families during the holidays and vacations. This dam is about 70 kms away from Tirunelveli. Courtrallam and Senkottai are the two places that are very close to the Gundar Reservoir. This dam is also located at the foot of Western Ghats. The amazing surroundings and the climate of the place make it a more preferable tourist spot. There is a very good waterfall located just 1 km away from the Gundar Reservoir. In order to reach the waterfalls safely it is advised to use only four wheelers. The number of domestic people visiting the spot is more rather than the outsiders.
Papanasam Dam: Papanasam Dam is a very famous dam in Tamil Nadu that is situated in the Tirunelveli district. In fact, this dam was built by the British. The important specifications of this dam are 240 m high, 265 m long and 5.4 m wide. This dam is also commonly known as the Tambiraparani River dam by the local people as it is easy to identify. 147 sq km is the total catchment area of this dam. In this place, the tourists are allowed to go for boating but swimming is prohibited completely. In fact, this dam is popular for its crocodile population.
Read More: Information On Various Sanctuaries In Tirunelveli
Information On Various Sanctuaries In Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli is a place that is known for the various animal and bird sanctuaries that are located in and around. In fact, the Sanctuaries act as the prime reason for the tourist attraction. There are numerous wildlife lovers and tourists who visit Tirunelveli every year in order to have a look at the sanctuaries. Apart from the animals and birds the plant life in the sanctuaries is also very good. The climate and environment of such places will be liked by many people. Usually, such places will be apt for making good backgrounds for the photographs too. Some of the important sanctuaries that are located at Tirunelveli are discussed below.
Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve:
Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve is very famous in Tirunelveli. 817 sq. Km is the total area of the tiger reserve. It is located at the southmost part of the Western Ghats. This was declared as the national tiger reserve in the year of 1988. Cheranmahadevi is the station that lies 20 km away from this place, and Ambasamudaram station is about 15 km away from the sanctuary. These two are the nearest train route to reach the sanctuary. When it comes to the airway, Madurai and Trivandrum are the best choices to make. Reaching this place through road is also not a very tough job as the roadways are very good. The bus service is for the sanctuary is also available very frequently. 358 sq. Km is the buffer space in the sanctuary, and the core zone comprises of 459 sq.kms which in total becomes 817 sq. Kms.
This place has a mountainous topography and also consists of tropical dry deciduous forest covering the lower slopes. And the higher slopes are covered by the tropical wet evergreen forests. In fact, it makes the place even more attractive for the tourists. The climate will also vary according to the various places in the mountain. At the plain level, the place will be very hot and dry humid. When it comes to elevated places, the climate will be cold and will make the spot more pleasant. In the entire place, more tigers can be found at the southern part of the reserve. Apart from the tigers there are many other animals living in the place, and some of them include the following dholes, striped hyenas, civets, panthers, jackals, jungle cats and so on. There are about 18 non-human primate species in India and among them five are found in this particular reserve and they are Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macque, bonnet macaque, common langur and slender loris.
This place also acts as a habitat for numerous endangered species like crocodiles, monitor, common krait, darkpit viper, lizard, viper, russels, garden lizard, tortoise, king cobra and many rare species of frogs. There are more than 80 species of birds having this region as their habitat. Parakeets, herons, night jars, spurfowl, partridge, paradise flay catchers , kites , sparrows, bee caters, minivets , owls, jungle fowl, emerald dove, quails, and egrets etc are some of the birds that can be found very commonly in this place. Also, it is identified that there are about 24 trails in the place making it more precious. It fact it acts as a very good point of attraction to the trekkers and adventurers. This place is open to the visitors on all days, and the timings are between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. September to January is considered to be the best season to visit this place. Even finding a staying place in this region is not very tough as there are numerous dormitories and forest rest houses ready for accommodation.
Read More : Get To Know The Temples In Tirunelveli
Interesting Places That Cannot Be Missed In Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli is a place that is worth a visit at least once in the lifetime. There are many places in Tirunelveli that attract many tourists towards the place. Some of them include dams, temples, sanctuaries, sculpture houses, hills and so on. Apart from the places there food and tradition of this place are very rich and unique. In fact, it will be very interesting the culture of the people living in this spot. Though people here use the Tamil language their way of pronunciation and sounds will be different and it attracts many people. In fact, it will sound like music as it has some sort of rhythm in it. The scenic background of this city will be very good too making it preferable apart from the reasons mentioned above. Some of the important places that have to be visited during the tour of Tirunelveli are listed below.
Manjolai: A very good place that is worth a visit in Tirunelveli is Manjolai. This is a hill station that is situated at the elevation of 1162 sq. metre. The prime attraction of this area is the tea plantations that are available in the spot. One of the most familiar tea estates in the area is Bombay Burma Tea Estate. This place also provides a very good employment opportunity to the people through the tea estates as a matter of fact about 4000 people are working in various tea plantations. The calm atmosphere and the wonderful climate of the place make it even more appealing. In fact, many tourists compare this place with the queen of hills i.e. Udhagamandalam due to the splendid experience they get here. When a person stays here for some time, he will get peace of mind and will be able to relax well. Finding a stay will also be not very challenging.
In between Manjolai and Manimuthar, there is a fresh pool of water which is named as Dasan Pool and the person visiting this area will be surely impressed with its green nature and pleasant climate. It is possible to go even for greater heights, and there will be real gifts of nature namely Kakkachi and Nalumukka that will provide an unforgettable experience to the visitor. Before going to these places at the summer, it will be a very good idea to book proper stay place as the number of tourists will be more in the particular time.
Krishnapuram Sculptures: Another important feature to be noted in Tirunelveli is the amazing Krishnapuram Sculptures. Usually, the sculptures that are present in the temples of this city will be very attractive and unique. This place is preferred by numerous researchers and sculpture lovers. Krishnapuram Sculptures are very common in the Venkatachalapathy temple. In fact, this temple is the treasure of statues and handicrafts that should not be missed. As everyone knows these sculptures will be created by carving the stones. Lord Venkatachalapathy along with Sri Devi and Bhu Devi are the main deity in this temple. The architecture of this place is also noteworthy. It is believed that Vijayanagaram sculptors were the people who created these wonderful structures, according to the orders of Krishnappa Nayakkar belonging to the Nayak dynasty. This structure will be depicting the wonderful tales of Tamil people and especially it will concentrate on various tragedies and heroics involved in life.
Pulithevan Palace: This is another place that is related to the history of Tirunelveli. In fact, this palace has an important role in the freedom struggle of the nation. This place was the headquarters for the first chieftain of Tamil Nadu Pulithevar during the freedom struggle. It is also believed that he was responsible for the rise of Tamil people against the British.
Tirunelveli Today 