TENKASI WITH PAPANASAM (FROMTIRUNELVELI)

At a distance of 1.5 km from Tenkasi Bus Station, 5 km from Courtallam, and 55 km from Tirunelveli, Sri Kasi Viswanathar Temple is a sacred Hindu shrine located in the town of Tenkasi. It is one of the popular Tenkasi places to visit, and among the significant pilgrimage sites near Madurai.

Sri Kasi Viswanathar Temple is dedicated to Kasi Viswanathar a form of Lord Shiva in a self-incarnated form (swayambu). Tenkasi town derived its name from this temple and known as Kasi of South. It is believed that worshipping the Lord in this temple is equal to worshipping the Lord in Kasi. The nearby river Chittar is considered equivalent to Ganga.

The temple was built by Parakrama Pandyan in Dravidian style. The construction of Rajagopuram was completed in the year 1505. The gopura caught fire in 1824 and was in a bad condition till 1966. Then .....

At a distance of 7 km from Tenkasi, 62 km from Tirunelveli & 160 km from Madurai, Courtallam, or Kutralam Falls is a stunning waterfall situated near Tirunelveli. It is one of the prominent waterfalls in Tamilnadu, and among the must include places in Tenkasi holiday packages. Courtallam is famed as the 'Spa of South'.

There are nine waterfalls at Courtallam where the River Chittar cascades over 92 meters at varying volumes. The Main falls or Peraruvi is the most popular and the biggest among the nine falls, at a distance of about 300 meters from Courtallam Bus Stand. Falling from a height of 60 m, it is located right inside Courtallam town. The flow of water is interrupted by the Pongumakadal rock and comes down gently making it a safe place to bathe. The waters of Courtallam are believed to have medicinal qualities as it flows through forests of herbs. The Kutralanathar Temple, .....

At a distance of 200 m from Courtallam Bus Station, 7 km from Tenkasi and 62 km from Tirunelveli, The Kutralanathar Temple also known as Thirukkutralanathar is one of the most popular temples of Tamilnadu and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the 275 Thevara Shivasthalas of Lord Shiva. The temple is of 2000 years old and there is lot of old Tamil inscriptions of Chola and Pandyan periods. It is situated near Courtallam Falls.

The main deity of Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a self-manifested Linga. This temple situated in a serene atmosphere and it occupies 3.5 acres of land at the foot hills of Trikoodamalai. This is a conch shaped temple and is referred to as Sangakkovil. In the shrine, the presiding deity Lord Shiva is called as Kuttralanathar and his consort Goddess Parvathi is called as Kuzhalvoi Mozhiammai. There is a separate shrine for Adi Parasakthi which is very popular which is a Shakthi Peetha. Nandi idol is facing .....

At a distance of 4 km from Courtallam Main Falls, 4 km from Courtallam Bus Station and 11 km from Tenkasi, Five Falls or Aintharuvi is another important waterfall in Courtallam. After the main falls, this is the most famous waterfall and the most enjoyable of all falls here.

The water here splits into five branches while falling, so it is called Five Falls. It is unique as water flows in five directions, resembling a 5-headed cobra. It is highly revered among locals as they compare it to Adishesha. Among the five falls, three are open to men and two for women. There is a Swami Ayyappa Temple and Vinayaka Temple close to waterfall. Bathing here is very safe and enjoyable activity. There is also an Eco Park and boat house nearby.

Road access is available close to the falls and about 100 meters walk is required from the parking area to reach the falls.

Fruit Garden Falls or Pazhathotta Aruvi is situated above the Five Falls. .....

At a distance of 8 km from Main Falls, 8 km from Courtallam Bus Station and 11 km from Tenkasi, Pazhaya Courtallaruvi or Old Courtallam is also known as Shivamathungai Falls.

The 200 ft fall features steps that are cut out into the rocks for breaking flow of the cascading water to make it safe for bathing. The water flows through two rocks and drop into the valley to form this waterfall. Along with separate bathing areas for men and women, tourists can engage themselves in oil massages. Bathing here is safe and is a popular activity.

Road access is available close to the falls and about 100 meters walk is needed to reach the falls from parking area.

Tiger Falls or Puli Aruvi is situated 2 km from Courtallam bus stand. It is situated between the Main Falls and Old Courtallam. This artificial falls has a moderate flow of water which is collected into a lake and is diverted for irrigation. This falls is situated inside a .....

At a distance of 68 km from Kollam, 39 km from Tenkasi & 73 km from Trivandrum, Thenmala Dam also known as Kallada Dam or Parappara Dam located in Thenmala village is built across Kalla River. It is situated very close to Kollam - Tenkasi road. The dam is located amidst picturesque location with beautiful surroundings at the foothills of the Western Ghats.

The surroundings of Thenmala Dam are developed under eco-tourism development activities. It is also selected by World Tourism Organisation as one of the best eco-friendly projects in the world. Thenmala means honey hill. Due to the peculiar floristic composition of the forest, the honey collected from Thenmala forest is famous for its medicinal values.

This place has facilities like winding pathways, sway bridge, amphitheatre and a musical fountain. You can also visit the traditional tree houses of the tribal of this area. There are also boating facilities in the reservoir. .....

At a distance of 29 km from Tenkasi, 81 km from Kollam, & 86 km from Trivandrum, Palaruvi Waterfall is a wonderful waterfall located at Aryankavu. Situated on Kollam - Tenkasi road, it is one of the popular waterfalls in Kerala, and among the must-visit places during Kollam trip.

Palaruvi Waterfalls, which literally translates to 'Stream of Milk', cascades down through rocks from a height of about 300 feet. It is one of the most beautiful waterfalls near Trivandrum. The waterfall is surrounded by lush green valleys and natural herbal groves, which makes this waterfall, rich in medicinal properties.

Regarded as one of the most famous Kollam sightseeing places, the Palaruvi Waterfall is known to have ayurvedic properties. Locals believe that .....

At a distance of 5 km from Panpoli Bus Stop, 14 km Tenkasi, 18 km from Courtallam and 71 km from Tirunelveli, Thirumalai Kovil is a Murugan temple situated at Panpoli. The temple is situated at an altitude of 400 m on a small hill surrounded by Western Ghats on the border of Kerala.

The main deity Murugan is found with four hands in the standing posture. The deity here is called Thirumalai Kumaraswamy or Thirumalai Murugan. Lord Muruga gave darshan to sage Agasthiar at this place. This temple has 2 enclosures and two entrances. The sanctum faces the east. The temple boasts a mukha-mandapa, maha-mandapa in front of the sanctum. At the entrance of the main sanctum, there is a small idol for Lord Ganesha. A three tiered gopura covers the entrance to the inner enclosure. Much of the current structure of the temple dates back to 15th century. There are few 18th century inscriptions found in the temple.

At the entrance of the hill, there is a shrine for Lord Vallabha Vinayaka. There .....

At a distance of 12 km from Papanasam and 47 km from Tirunelveli, Sri Sivasailanathar Paramakalyani Temple is a 500 year old Saivaite temple situated on the banks of River Gadana at Sivasailam in Tamilnadu. Popularly called as Sivasailam Temple, this is one of the famous Shiva temples near Tirunelveli.

The Sivasailam Temple is dedicated to Lord Sivasailanathar and Goddess Parvati. Built by Pandiyas, the temple is surrounded by Velli malai, Mulli malai and Podhigai hills. It is believed that the Shiva Lingam in the sanctum is swayambhu lingam. At the back of the statue, there are lines that appear like hair, so he is also called Sadaiappar. This can be seen through a hole while strolling around the sanctum sanctorum. This is visible only when the Archakar gives Aarathi at the back of the lingam.

The temple is huge with many mandapams and carved pillars. The principle gopuram has five stories and is embellished with numerous statues. The specialty of the temple is the huge .....

At a distance of 15 km from Ambasamudram and 47 km from Tirunelveli, Papanasam is a small town in Ambasamudram Taluk of Tirunelveli district in Tamilnadu. It is one of the popular picnic spots in Tirunelveli.

Papanasam has a famous temple called the Papanasam Sivan Temple which lies on the banks of Thamirabarani River. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the holy shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati who are worshipped as Papanasanathar and Ulagammai respectively. This is the place where Saint Agasthiyar got the Kalyana dharshan of Lord Shiva and Parvati along with his wife Lopamudra.

The Shiva lingam of the temple is completely made up of Rudraksha. Of the nine Kailash Kshetras - Nava Kailash, Papanasam is the first place and is attributed to Sun God. Hence, the place is known as Surya Kshetra and Surya Kailash. Devotees strongly believe that Lord Shiva in this temple is most powerful and cures all kind of diseases. The temple is famous .....

At a distance of 4 km from Papanasam and 51 km from Tirunelveli, Papanasam Falls, also known as Agasthiyar Falls is a stunning waterfall located near the town of Papanasam in the Tirunelveli district of Tamilnadu. Located in the Western Ghats, Papanasam Falls is a prominent waterfalls in Tamilnadu, and among the most popular Tirunelveli tourist places.

Formed over Thamirabarani River, Papanasam Falls drop down from a height of 120 m. The river Thamirabarani, which flows from the Western Ghats of the Podhigai Hills, reaches the plains at Papanasam. This is highly revered by the locals both for their immense beauty and religious significance. Papanasam means absolution of sins and it is an important pilgrim center where people take bath in the sacred water to relieve themselves from sins.

Agasthiyar Temple is situated near the falls, among the .....

At a distance of 16 km from Papanasam and 45 km from Tirunelveli, Manimuthar Dam is an artificial dam in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. This is one of the largest dams in Tirunelveli district and also one of the top places to visit in Tirunelveli.

Situated at the foothills of the scenic Podhigai Hills, Manimuthar Dam was built across the Manimuthar River just three km above its confluence with Thamirabarani River in 1957. The maximum storage capacity of the dam is 118 feet. The river Manimuthar is the major tributary of Thamirabarani. The Dam is an ideal picnic spot blessed with beautiful garden and peaceful atmosphere. Boating in this picturesque dam is one of the most memorable things to do in Tirunelveli.

About 6 km from Manimuthar Dam is Manimuthar Falls which is created by the waters of Manimuthar River. This natural waterfall cascades down from a height of 25 feet into a pond. The pond is 90 feet in deep and is very dangerous. The water is so fresh and less crowded .....