Mangalanathar Temple

The temple spreads across about twenty acres, with a particularly ancient sacred tree. The presiding deity is Mangalanathar, the most prominent shrines being his own, that of his consort Mangala Nayaki, and the six-foot Nataraja carved from a single emerald stone. There are shrines of Bhairava, Dakshinamurthy, Chandikeshwara and Balabairava, and the Vinayaka and Subramanya shrines have exchanged their usual positions. Other shrines hold Sahasra Lingam and Manikavasagar.

Two magnificent yalis stand at the entrance, each with a stone ball that rolls in its mouth but cannot be taken out. The temple has a seven-tiered Raja Gopuram with ornate figures and murals, and separate images of the Sun, Moon and Mars. The emerald monolith Nataraja is always covered in sandal paste and shown in its splendour only on the day before Arudra Day, then covered again.

The Pandyas are held to have built the extended temple while Utirakosamangai was their capital. Achuthappa (1528 to 1542 CE), the ruler of Thanjavur, Muthuveerappar and other Ramanathapuram rulers renovated and expanded it. The temple is hailed by Manikavasagar of the 9th century and Arunagirinadhar of the 15th century.

Tiru Utirakosamangai can be read as Tiru (honorific), Utira (to instruct), Kosa (secret) and Mangai (woman), the woman who was told the secret, taken to mean Parvathi learning the Pranava Mantra from Shiva. Among the legends, Mandodhari prayed here for a groom who was a Shiva devotee; Shiva showed her Ravana and they married in his presence, and when they had no children they worshipped Mangaleswara and Mangaleswari and were blessed with them. It is said one can attain salvation by treading the ground of Utirakosamangai.