Tirunelli, the Kashi of the South

One the last leg of our trip, we visited the famous Tirunelli Temple, located 30 km north west of Mananthavadi. Known as the Kashi of South, the temple is in the midst of the Brahmagiri Hills and is encircled by the Papanasini River.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Thirty granite pieces are said to support the shrine, the floor paved with huge square granite blocks. The 'koothambalam' here has rare paintings on its walls.

Papanasini is believed to be a holy mountain spring that has divine cleansing powers to absolve the soul of all its sins. Hindus perform their forefathers ‘balikarma’ and bathe in the to get relieved from all sins.

The first picture shows the entrance to the Trishleri Temple, on the way to Tirunelli. The second is a shot of the outer temple walls, from the parikrama. The third is a view from above of the temple. The last picture is taken in Tirunelli, it gives a view of the steps leading to the Tirunelli Temple.