Nageswarar Nagercoil

Nageswarar Nagarkovil is an old east facing temple with a large entrance gateway in the south. There are entrances from other sides too. The temple is a combination of Kerala and Dravidian architecture. In front of the temple are the installations of a large number of Naagar idols. Adjacent to this is a beautiful and clean temple tank. As you enter from the east the Sanctum Sanctorum and the shrines of Ananthakrishna and Kasi Viswanathar are in a line. Two large Naagar idols are found on either side of the main deity of Nageswara – Darnendran (male snake) and Padmavati (female snake) as Dwarapalakas. The main deity has a 5 hooded snake as a covering on top. The entire temple is filled with Naagar idols in many places most significantly on the Prakaram walls. The Lingam here is on sand and this sand is black in color during the Sun’s Southward journey and in normal color during the Northward journey. This sand has been given as a Prasadam to devotees for a long time. The Shiva Lingam here is also considered to represent Vayu (Wind). The outer prakaram has a small theertham tank in front of which is the separate shrine for Theertha Durga. This idol was found near the tank and hence the name. The main priests of the temple are from a family of Namboothris who have been worshiping snakes for generations. The flag staff is in front of the shrine of Ananthakrishna and instead of the normaly Garuda here you see the Tortoise depicted on it. The temple tree here is Oda Valli which is supposedly a cure for Leprosy. A large bush of this was cleared some time back as it was full of snakes. Further efforts to regrow this herb has been unsuccessful.