Nagaraja Temple, Nagercoil

8°11′15″N 77°25′59″E / 8.187617°N 77.433130°E / 8.187617; 77.433130

Nagaraja Temple, Nagercoil
The unusual gopura of Nagaraja temple. The city traditional name Nagarkōyil is derived from this temple.
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictNagercoil
DeityLord Nagaraja
Location
LocationNagercoil
StateTamil Nadu
CountryIndia

Nagaraja Temple is an early large temple found in the city of Nagercoil (Nagarkōyil) near the southern tip of Tamil Nadu, India. Its dating is uncertain but likely pre-12th-century. The main sanctum is dedicated to the Nagaraja – the king of serpents. Padmanabham (1985), Heritage Of The Tamils Temple Arts, Editors: SV Subramanian and G Rajendran, International Institute of Tamil Studies, Since the 17th-century, new Hindu shrines have been added to the temple complex attracting devotees of Krishna (Vishnu), as well as Shaiva and Shakti Hindus.[1] The original iconography of the Tirthankaras and Padmavati Devi have and continue to remain a part of the sacred pantheon close to the temple's main sanctum.[1][2]

The temple has three shrines. The oldest and the main shrine's deity remains the original Nagaraja. The second shrine is dedicated to Ananthakrishna (baby Krishna dancing on a coiled snake) with Rukmini and Satyabhama. The third shrine is dedicated to Shiva.[3] The mandapa includes six icons of Tirthankaras and a goddess such as Parsvanatha and Padmavati Devi with rare, non-standard emblems (all lions). It also includes those of Hindu deities such as Subrahmanya Swami, Ganesha and Devi Bhagavati.[2]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference KramrischCousins1948 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Rao, T.A. Gopinatha (1910). Travancore Archaeological Series. Vol. 2. pp. 127–129.
  3. ^ P.K. Nambiar and K.C. Narayana Kurup (1968), Fairs and Festivals (Temples), Census of India 1961, Volume IX: Madras, Part VII-B, pp.43–44