| Tirunallar Dharbaranyeswarar Temple | |
|---|---|
Dharbaranyam | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Karaikkal |
| Deity | Dharbaranyeswarar (Shiva) and Bogamartha Poonmulaiyaal (Parvati), Shani |
| Location | |
| Location | Tirunallar |
| State | Pondicherry |
| Country | India |
  Location in Tamil Nadu | |
| Geographic coordinates | 10°55′32″N 79°47′32″E / 10.92556°N 79.79222°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian architecture |
Dharbaranyeswarar Temple, more popularly known as Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in the Thirunallar village of the Karaikal district, in the Union territory of Puducherry, Southeastern India.
The temple complex covers around 2 acres (0.81 ha) and entered through a five tiered gopuram, the main gateway. The temple has a number of shrines, with those of Shiva as Dharbaranyeswarar, his consort Praneswari Amman (Parvati), Shani (Saniswararan) and Somaskanda (a combined form of Shiva with Parvati and his son Murugan) being the most prominent. All the shrines of the temple are enclosed in large concentric rectangular granite walls. The present masonry structure was built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagar rulers. The temple is maintained and administered by the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions by the Government of Puducherry.
The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and four yearly festivals on its calendar. Mahasivarathri festival celebrated during the month of the Chittirai (March - April) is the most prominent festival of the temple for the presiding deity, while Sanipeyarchi festival that occurs every 2.5 years is the most prominent for Shani.