Presiding deity: Nagarajar also known as Nagaramman
Installation: Under the water
Reputation : Swayambu – exists of its own
Sanctum: Sanctorum Palm leaf roof
Holy tree: Odavalli
Holy spring : Boat festival tank
Special: shrine Durga
Place: Nagercoil
District: Kanyakumari
Prayer:
Devotees throng the temple for remedy from skin problems and go round the trees around which Snake idols (Nagar) are placed. The effect of Naga dosha is fully eliminated. The devotee gets child.
Prayer commitments:
People bring and place Nagas made in silver, pour milk, bathe the Nagars with water mixed with turmeric powder. Offer eggs, salt and pepper.
Speciality:
Though the temple is big in size, sanctum sanctorum is constructed with roof made of palm leaves. No Vimanam in the temple. When the roof is renewed each year, a snake visits the place. The floor of the sanctum sanctorum is always wet as the presiding deity is installed on a base surrounded by water.
Reputation:
The Nagarajar temple in Nagercoil is noted for snake worship. The sand taken from the place of installation of the deity is the main Prasad offered to the devotees. It is said that the sand would be black for six months and becomes white later. The wonder is that though the sand is being taken each day for quite a number years, the level and the quantity of the sand hasn’t gone down and maintains the same level.
The Odavalli tree leaves have marvellous medicinal value, each with different taste curing even leprosy.
General Information:
Nagercoil is 60 Kms far from Tirunelveli and 230 Kms from Madurai. Lodging facilities are comfortably available in Nagercoil, the charges ranging from Rs. 150 to Rs. 700.
Bus facilities are available to Nagercoil from almost all centres of Tamilnadu. Nearest railway station is Nagercoil and the airport Madurai. The temple administration can be contacted on telephone No. 04652 – 232420.
Festivals:
10 day festival in the Tamil month Thai (January-February) drawing a crowd exceeding 5 thousand devotees. In the month of Avani (August-September) all Sundays are festival days the devotees throng in thousands. Devotees visit the temple in almost all Sundays and on the Aslesha Star (Ayilyam) days.
History:
The place was once covered by shrubs and bushes. A woman, once cutting grass with her sickle, hurt a snake with five heads that bled profusely. The shocked woman went in to the village and narrated the incident. All gathered at the spot and were both shocked and surprised. They built a small temple at the spot. The King of Kalakkadu, suffering from leprosy, got cured after a prayer to the Nagaraja. He built a temple that slowly grew to fame in the years that followed.
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