Kannagi (Mangaladevi) temple · Vannathiparai, Idukki (Kerala) / Theni (Tamil Nadu) border, Tamil Nadu, India
Mangala Devi Kannagi Temple is a hill shrine to Kannagi, heroine of the Tamil epic Silappathikaram by Ilango Adigal, at an altitude of about 1,337 m in the forests of the Periyar Tiger Reserve on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border, according to Kerala Tourism. The epic tells how Kannagi avenged the wrongful death of her husband by burning down Madurai.
Faith & Tradition
The temple opens only for the Chitra Pournami festival in April/May (Kerala Tourism). Thousands of devotees from both Tamil Nadu and Kerala attend; in 2011 pilgrims waited in a queue about 750 metres long for darshan, The Hindu reported.
Heritage
Tradition, recorded by Kerala Tourism, credits the Chera king Chenguttuvan with building the temple, called Kannagi Kottam, at Vannathiparai. The temple's boundary walls and steps are built of huge stones.
The temple has long been the subject of a border dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, reported by India Today as early as 1982. The Tamil Nadu government later announced that its Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department would take over the temple's administration, The Hindu reported.
Kerala Tourism notes the temple's Pandyan-style architecture and massive stone walls and steps.
Plan Your Visit
Access is through a tiger reserve and is permitted only during the festival; confirm arrangements with the forest and district authorities.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with the temple administration before travelling. Last reviewed 5 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
The only time the temple is open; thousands of devotees from Tamil Nadu and Kerala attend.
Location
The temple is inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve on the Western Ghats, on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border (Idukki district, Kerala / Theni district, Tamil Nadu).
Location: Vannathiparai, Idukki (Kerala) / Theni (Tamil Nadu) border, Tamil Nadu, India
More in Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu · Kannagi (Mangaladevi) temples
Questions
In the Periyar Tiger Reserve on the Western Ghats, on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border.
Kannagi, the heroine of the Tamil epic Silappathikaram.
Only during the Chitra Pournami festival in April/May.
About 1,337 m above sea level, according to Kerala Tourism.
It lies on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border, and both states have claimed it.
Further reading: Mangala Devi Kannagi Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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