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Nellaiappar temple, Tirunelveli

The temple is known for its musical pillars and brilliant sculptural splendours. This temple houses a shrine to Shiva and Parvati covering a 14 acre area. Near Tirunelveli, are the nine Vaishnavite temples dedicated to Vishnu (the Alwar Nava Tiruppatis), the Krishnapuram Venkatachalapati temple with its brilliant sculptural work, Tiruchendur with its grand and imposing temple dedicated to Subramanya, and Kutralam a popular tourist resort with its charming waterfalls and abundand natural beauty. The region between Tirunelveli and Kutralam abounds in natural splendour. Mention must be made of Tenkasi, Papanasam and Ambasamudram. The inscriptions in the temple dating back to 950 AD.

The musical pillars in the Mani Mandapam which produce sound in various pitches when struck (7th century AD by Nindrasir Nedumaran or Koon Pandyan), the Somavara Mandapam, the 1000 pillared hall, and the Tamra sabha with intricate wood work, and the Vasantha Mandapam are some of the noteworthy points in this temple. Lifelike sculptures adorn several of the mandapams in the temple, noteworthy ones being in the Sangili Mandapam which links the temples of Nellaiappar and Kantimathi in this vast temple complex.

Tamra Sabhai: The Copper Hall of Dance is a brilliant work of art, and is housed within the inner precincts of the temple.

On the occasion of Arudra Darisanam (occuring in the Tamil month of Margazhi - Dec 15 - Jan 15), the images of Nataraja and Sivakami are housed here, and elaborate worship protocols are observed during the enactment of the Cosmic Dance of Shiva. A shrine to Sandana Sabhapati (adorned with sandal paste) is located right behind the Tamra Sabha and to a visitor walking towards the Tamra Sabha, the combination of these, i.e. the vision of Sandana Sabhapati seen through the Tamra Sabha presents a brilliant spectacle.

Arudra Darisanam attracts huge crowds here.The temple charriot is a massive one, second supposedly only to Tiruvarur. The Bhrammotsavam here lasts for an extended period of time during the Tamil month of Aani (June 15 - July 15).

Other festivals: Navaratri, Tirukkalyanam in Aippasi, (Oct 15 - Nov 15) and Arudra Darisanam.