Papanasanathar Temple (Arulmigu Papanasaswamy Temple), Papanasam
பாபநாசநாதர் கோயில்
Shiva (Papanasanathar), with Goddess Ulagammai temple · Papanasam, near Vikramasingapuram, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India
Photo: MaRISELVAM · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The Papanasanathar Temple, listed by the Tirunelveli district administration as Arulmigu Papanasaswamy Temple, is a Shiva temple at Papanasam in Ambasamudram taluk of Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu (Tirunelveli District Administration). The presiding deity is Shiva as Papanasar, worshipped with the goddess Arultharum Ulagammai (Tirunelveli District Administration). The temple stands at the foothills of the Podhigai hills in the Western Ghats (Tirunelveli District Administration), on the banks of the Thamiraparani river (Vikramasingapuram Municipality).
This Papanasam should not be confused with the town of the same name in Thanjavur district; the temple described here lies in Tirunelveli district, close to Vikramasingapuram (Daily Thanthi; Dinamalar).
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Papanasanathar Temple (Arulmigu Papanasaswamy Temple), Papanasam
The name Papanasam is explained as 'destruction of sin' (Dinamalar; Vikramasingapuram Municipality). Devotees believe that bathing in the river here washes away one's sins (Vikramasingapuram Municipality). According to the temple legend recorded by Dinamalar, Indra was released from the sin of a killing when he came to this place on the advice of Jupiter (Dinamalar).
The temple is counted as the first of the nine Nava Kailasam shrines along the Thamiraparani and is associated with the Sun, which is why it is also called Surya Kshetra or Surya Kailasam (Dinamalar; News7 Tamil). The district administration notes the belief that worshipping Shiva here is equal to worshipping at the Suriyanar temple near Aduthurai in Mayiladuthurai district (Tirunelveli District Administration).
Tradition links the place with the sage Agastya. According to the legend given by the district administration, Agastya could not witness the wedding of Shiva and Parvati at Kailasam because of the crowds there, so he prayed at this spot, and Shiva appeared with Parvati in wedding attire before Agastya and his wife Lopamudra; Shiva then remained here as Papanasanathar (Tirunelveli District Administration). A second tradition says the sage Urosamar floated flowers on the Thamiraparani and built a temple for Papanasanathar where the first flower came ashore (Tirunelveli District Administration).
Heritage
History of Papanasanathar Temple (Arulmigu Papanasaswamy Temple), Papanasam
The founding date of the temple is not established in the sources consulted. The Vikramasingapuram Municipality states that the temple was built about 700 years ago (Vikramasingapuram Municipality), while News7 Tamil describes it as around 2,000 years old (News7 Tamil). These figures differ widely and neither is backed by a cited inscription, so the temple's age should be treated as uncertain.
Architecture and sacred features
Dinamalar describes the linga in the sanctum as the Mukkila Lingam and notes that Nataraja is worshipped in a separate shrine as Punugu Sabapathy (Dinamalar). Worship follows the Kamika Agama, and the sacred tree of the temple is the Kizha tree (Tirunelveli District Administration). The sacred waters associated with the temple are the Thamiraparani, the Vedha Theertham and the Pazhaya Papanasa Theertham (Tirunelveli District Administration).
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The district administration lists six daily pujas from early morning to night and says free meals (annadhanam) are served to devotees daily under the state's annadhanam scheme (Tirunelveli District Administration). Large crowds gather for darshan on the Tamil New Year day during the Chithirai Vishu festival (Dinamalar). Confirm current timings and arrangements with the temple's Executive Officer or the Tamil Nadu HR&CE department before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Executive Officer, Arulmigu Papanasam Temple (per Tirunelveli district administration) before travelling. Last reviewed 11 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Papanasanathar Temple (Arulmigu Papanasaswamy Temple), Papanasam
Chithirai Vishu festival
The festival opens with a flag-hoisting at the temple, the deities are taken out on different vahanas each day, and the chariot procession is held around the car streets of nearby Vikramasingapuram (Daily Thanthi; News7 Tamil). It ends with a float festival and the appearance of Shiva in wedding form for the sage Agastya (Daily Thanthi).
Thaipoosam
On this day the Nandi is anointed with sandal paste in memory of Nataraja's darshan to the sages Patanjali and Vyaghrapada (Dinamalar).
Margazhi festival, Kandha Sashti and Sivaratri
These are listed among the temple's festivals by the district administration (Tirunelveli District Administration).
Location
How to Reach Papanasanathar Temple (Arulmigu Papanasaswamy Temple), Papanasam
Papanasam is about 50 km from Tirunelveli, according to the Vikramasingapuram Municipality (Vikramasingapuram Municipality). The district administration says frequent buses run from Tirunelveli to Papanasam via Cheranmahadevi and Kalloor (Tirunelveli District Administration). It lists Ambasamudram as the nearest railway station and the airport at Vagaikulam in Thoothukudi district, about 100 km away, as the nearest airport (Tirunelveli District Administration).
Confirm current transport arrangements with the Tirunelveli district administration before travelling.
Location: Papanasam, near Vikramasingapuram, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India
Nearest airport: Vagaikulam (Thoothukudi), about 100 km per district administration
Nearest railway station: Ambasamudram
More in Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu · Shiva (Papanasanathar), with Goddess Ulagammai temples · Temples in Ambasamudram Taluk · Temples in Tirunelveli District
Questions
Papanasanathar Temple (Arulmigu Papanasaswamy Temple), Papanasam: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Papanasanathar Temple?
It is at Papanasam in Ambasamudram taluk, Tirunelveli district, at the foothills of the Podhigai hills in the Western Ghats (Tirunelveli District Administration). It is about 50 km from Tirunelveli (Vikramasingapuram Municipality).
Which deities are worshipped here?
Shiva is worshipped as Papanasar or Papanasanathar, with the goddess Ulagammai (Tirunelveli District Administration; Daily Thanthi).
What does the name Papanasam mean?
It is explained as 'destruction of sin', and devotees believe a dip in the river here washes away sins (Vikramasingapuram Municipality; Dinamalar).
Is this one of the Nava Kailasam temples?
Yes. It is described as the first of the Nava Kailasam shrines and is associated with the Sun (Dinamalar; News7 Tamil).
What is the Agastya legend of Papanasam?
Tradition holds that Shiva and Parvati appeared here in wedding attire to the sage Agastya and his wife Lopamudra, who had been unable to see their wedding at Kailasam (Tirunelveli District Administration).
When is the main festival held?
The Chithirai Vishu festival in April, with a flag-hoisting, daily processions and a chariot festival at Vikramasingapuram, is the major annual event (Daily Thanthi; News7 Tamil).
Is this the same as the Papanasam temple near Kumbakonam?
No. This temple is in Tirunelveli district on the Thamiraparani (Tirunelveli District Administration); the Papanasam in Thanjavur district is a different place.
Sources and attribution
- © OpenStreetMap contributors — location data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Wikidata Q24938228 — structured data (CC0)
- Wikipedia — Papanasanathar Temple — text facts from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tirunelveli District Administration (Government of Tamil Nadu) — Arulmigu Papanasaswamy Temple, Papanasam
- Tirunelveli District Administration (Government of Tamil Nadu) — Agasthiyar Falls - Papanasam
- Vikramasingapuram Municipality (Government of Tamil Nadu) — Places of Interest: Papanasam Temple
- Dinamalar — Sri Papanasanathar Temple, Papanasam
- Daily Thanthi — Papanasam Chithirai Vishu festival: chariot procession held
- News7 Tamil — Chithirai festival at Papanasar Sri Ulagammai Ambal temple
- Dinamalar — Attack on SI at Papanasam temple festival: 3 arrested
Further reading: Papanasanathar Temple (Arulmigu Papanasaswamy Temple), Papanasam on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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