തിരുനെല്ലി മഹാവിഷ്ണു ക്ഷേത്രം I Thirunelli temple I

തിരുനെല്ലി മഹാവിഷ്ണുക്ഷേത്രം
ശ്രീ തിരുനെല്ലി മഹാവിഷ്ണുക്ഷേത്രം
Thirunelli temple
Thirunelli, about 30 km from Mananthavady, is a small village situated at the base of the Brahmagiri Hills, which is part of Sahyadri Ranges bordering Karnataka. The village is known as a pilgrim centre, thanks to the presence of an age-old Vishnu temple (Thirunelli temple) and the nearby stream Papanashini. The proximity to the dense forests makes the place more endearing to the visitors. The village is also known as an ornithologists’ and trekkers’ paradise.

How to reach Thirunelli?
A drive from Mananthavady to Thirunelli is worth an experience as it goes through dense forests, elephant sanctuaries and bamboo forests. For miles there will be no signs of habitation except for the stretches of paddy fields.

Take a drive from Mananthavady to Thirunelli on the Mysore road and take a turn from Kattikulam to reach the tiny hamlet of Thirunelli. As the village is located on the Kerala – Karnataka border, it is easy to access from Kutta in Karnataka too.
History of Thirunelli
There is only limited historic and archaeological information on the place. It is said that Thirunelli was an important town and pilgrim centre till the16th century. Some earlier Malayalam works of 11th and 12th century like Unniyachi Champu, has references to the place. Archaeologists have also discovered copper plate inscriptions belonging to the period of Bhaskara Ravi Varma I and II (10th and 11th century) from the village. The Malabar Manuel, written by William Logan too has mentions on the place. While laying roads to the place, it is said that, people got coins which dated back to 9th and 10th centuries, indicating the importance of the place during the reign of Kulasekhara. All these facts show that Thirunelli was an important town and pilgrim centre in north Kerala for centuries.

Thirunelli temple, located in the forest region of Brahmagiri, is known as the Kashi of South, owing to its religious significance. The temple is often compared to Gaya in Bihar and is famous for the rituals conducted for the departed souls. By conducting rituals there, it is said that the emancipation for the departed souls is ultimate. The temple is dedicated to Vishnu in the form of Chaturbhuja. There are sub-deities of Ganapathy and Nagam.

Legend behind the temple and Papanashini
There is no recorded history on the origin of the temple, but it is believed that the temple is more than 1000 years old. There are many legends and stories associated with it. Though they do not have evidences, they are fascinating.

The temple is believed to have been built by Lord Brahma. He was travelling round the earth upon a swan and noticed the enchanting beauty of the Brahmagiri Hills. He descended on the spot and found an idol of Vishnu under an Amla tree. He installed the idol there and called the temple Sahyamalaka temple. Lord Vishnu, as per the request of Lord Brahma, made the waters of the area also sacred and blessed it with the capability to wash away all sins. Hence, the river there is known as Papanashini, meaning the stream that washes away all sins. According to some other legends, the King of Birds, Garuda, was flying with Amritakumbha, (the pot of Amrut, the nectar of life) above Thirunelli when Lord Brahma was consecrating Vishnu’s idol. Garuda circled over the place and a few drops of Amrut fell into the stream nearby, thus making the Papanasini to attain the power for purifying sins.

People believe that Lord Brahma worships Perumal in the temple on the wee hours every day, hence the head priest of the temple leaves a fresh quantity of worshiping materials required for pooja in the temple before closing the temple at night.

The name of the place too is derived from this legend – Thirunelli means the holy gooseberry in Malayalam.



Papanasini, the mountain stream emanating from the heart of Brahmagiri is about 1 km away from the temple. Panchatheertham is the temple pond seen on the temple premises. There is a boulder with the image of a footprint in the middle of the pond and it is called Vishnupada (footprint of Lord Vishnu).

The temple is a fine piece of architectural wonder of yore. There are 30 granite pieces supporting the shrine and the floor is also paved with huge square granite blocks.

Festival of the temple
Puthari, Chuttuvilakku, Navarathri, Shivarathri and Sreekrishnajayanthi are the festivals conducted in this temple.


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