| Neelamegha Perumal Temple | |
|---|---|
 View of the temple and the temple tank | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Nagapattinam |
| Deity | |
| Location | |
| Location | Thirukannapuram, Thirumarugal Block |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
  Location in Tamil Nadu | |
| Geographic coordinates | 10°52′06″N 79°42′15″E / 10.8684°N 79.7042°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian architecture |
The Neelamegha Perumal Temple or Sowriraja Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple in Thirukannapuram, a village in the outskirts of Nagapattinam in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Neelamegha Perumal (also called as Neela Meghar) and his consort Lakshmi as Thirukannapura Nayagi. As per Hindu legend, the presiding deity is believed to have appeared with a wig (called sowri locally) to save a devotee, leading to the name Sowriraja Perumal (also called as Sowrirajan or Sowrirajar).
A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and three of its seven bodies of water. The temple has a seven-tiered rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower and a huge temple tank in front of it. The temple is believed to have been built by the Cholas, with later additions from the Thanjavur Nayaks.
Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the chariot festival, celebrated during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (April–May), is the most prominent. The temple follows the Tenkalai mode of worship and is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.