01The serpent’s Lord
The old name Tiruppathaleeswaram, the sacred Lord of Patala, and the names Naganathar and Sarpapureeswarar tie this shrine to the serpents of the underworld. Its tank is the Naga tirtham and its sacred tree the mango. Devotees come for relief from sarpa dosha and the afflictions of Rahu and Ketu, and the parihara pujas are done on Fridays and Sundays. Amirthanayaki, the Devi of nectar, has her own shrine. Sambandar’s padigam is the temple’s place in the Tevaram; the building has not been studied in print as far as we know.
Visiting
About 3.5 km north of Mannargudi, with town buses from the Mannargudi bus stand.
