History

sankarankoil

Sankaranainarkoil, commonly called as Sankarankoil is a town well connected with Tirunelveli and other parts of the district with good bus facilities. The Lingam in this temple is the personification of earth. This temple was built by Ukirapandiar who ruled this area in the early part of the 11th century A.D. It was his daily routine to go to Madurai on elephant's back to worship Lord Somasundarar and Meenakshi. On one particular day his elephant dug a pit with its trunk, fell and rolled over the earth, and refused to move further.

History

In the 11th Century King Ukkirapandia ruled over Ukkirankottai. He used to go over to Madurai to have dharsan of Lord Arulmigu Somasundarar. One day when he was proceeding to Madurai to worship God Arulmigu Somasundarar, The Chief Elephant tusked the earth on the way and plunged into a pit. At that time Manikireevan, the Watchman of Punnai forest came there and told the king Oh king! here is an ant-hill in the midest of Punnai forest. When the ant - hill was demolished there appeared a tail less cobra. It’s might is unexpalinable it belongs to the god. On hearing this the king rushed to the Punnai forest and saw the Sivalingam by the side of the ant - hill to his over whelming happiness.He then has a bath in the Nagasunai (Holy Tank) and worshipped the god. When the king came there to witness this an oracle was heard at that time which instructed the Pandiya king to construct a temple and worship him with utmost devotion which the king obliged. Ugra Pandyan constructed a temple and worshiped the deity. Nagasunai, the most sacred one is said to have been dug by two serpent king Sankan and Padman. Later on according to history, the king destroyed the forest in the vicinity of the ant - hill, constructed this Temple with Mandapama, Gopuram (Tower) and Compound walls. In the 12th Century King Seevalaramapandian constructed the Rajagopuram (Big Tower) and front Mandapam. This Thirukkoil has three important sannadhis with in its premises. There is a belief among the people that the dip in this holy water will cure all the diseases. Similarly the earth from the ant hill is also said to have great medicinal value and is said to cure skin diseases.

Sankaranainarkoil & Adi Thapasu Festival

Sri Gomathi Ambal did Thapas at Punnai kshetra and Lord Shiva gave Her darshan as Sankaranarayanaswamy on the Uthirada day in the month of Adi (June-August) and thereby indicating that God Shiva and God Vishnu are same. Further to prove this theory, it is also said that Sankaranarayanasami gave darshan to Sankan and Padman. It is in practice to make the psychiatric patients, or those suffering from diseases and persons believed to have been haunted by evil spirits, to sit on Sri Chakra peetam, in front of Goddess Gomathi Amman continuously for 40 days so that they could be cured.