Ramalingaswamy Panakudi

Ramalingaswamy, Panakudi

Saivite Temples - Tirunelveli District

God

Ramalingaswamy, facing east

Goddess

Sivakami, facing east

Other Deities

Outer Prakaram – Dwara Ganapathi, Murugan, Nambisingha Perumal with Sreedevi and Bhoodevi, Garudan, Bhoothanadar, Vinayaka, Murugan, Naagar, Veera Anjaneya. Inner Prakaram – Adhikara Nandi, Suryan, Juradevar, Sapthamadar, Kanni Vinayaka, Kasi Viswanathar, Visalakshi, Dharmasastha, Meenakshi Sundareswarar, Muruga with consorts, Saneeswara, Bhairava, Chandran. Sanctum niches – Dakshinamurthy, Chandikeswara

Ramalingaswamy Panakudi is an east-facing temple with an entrance gateway and a small gopuram at the entrance. In front is a large and beautiful temple tank with a mandapam in the middle. A long pillared corridor with a mandapam leads you inside to the outer Prakaram. The shrine of Nambi Singa Perumal (Narasimhar) is on the south side. This Prakaram is beautiful with a lot of shade-providing trees all around. The inner Prakaram has a large maha mandapam and separate ardha mandapams for the main deity and goddess shrine. All three deities have (Shiva, Ambal, and Perumal) have water sources in front – temple tank, well, and small tank respectively. The main deity is a very small Lingam. There is a shrine for Veera Anjaneya outside. The Hanuman River coming from the western ghats behind flows a little way in front. Near the spot where this river comes out from the western ghats and nice picnic spots and falls for bathing. The beautiful drive to these spots is filled with windmills.

Holy Water (Theertham) – Rama Theertham (Temple Tank), Hanuman River

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Magizham (Mimusops elengi)

History

Ramalingaswamy Panakudi is an ancient temple built by the Pandya Kings during the 13th Century CE. There is mention of one Uthama Pandian as the king who built the temple, whom we are unable to ascertain the identity. We came across one more mention that the temple as being built by Adiveera Rama Pandyan during the same period. But the latter King’s regnal years fall between 1564 – 1604 CE. An inscription in Nanguneri mentions this place as Adiveera Rama Puram and from this, we assume that the temple could have been constructed by Adiveera Rama Pandian.

Legend

Lord Rama is believed to have worshiped Lord Shiva here at Ramalingaswamy Panakudi on his way to the war in Sri Lanka. Sage Gautama is believed to have worshiped the lord here at Ramalingaswamy Panakudi.

Directions

Ramalingaswamy Panakudi is about 55 kilometers south of Tirunelveli on the National Highway 44 going to Kanyakumari. The temple is inside Panakudi Town. Panakudi comes after crossing Nanguneri and Valliyur.

Stay and Food

None locally. The closest are Valliyoor, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari depending on your travel plan.

Saivite Temples

Tamilnadu Temples