nagapattinam

Uchi Pillaiyar Temple is located on the peak of the Rock Fort hill. The shrine is at a height of 273 ft and tourists have to climb over 400 steps to reach the pinnacle. One has to cross Sri Thayumanavar temple, which is located half way to the peak. Though the climb is a bit difficult, the soothing cool breeze gears up our energy to climb without much strain. A panoramic view of the entire Thiruchi and Srirangam Temple from the Uchi Vinayakar temple is just amazing.
 

Sri Ranganathar Swamy Temple also known as Srirangam temple in Srirangam is a Hindu temple devoted to Lord Vishnu who is worshipped here as Lord Ranganatha, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu Himself. The temple is an example of the true Dravidian style of architecture and has often been mentioned in glorifying terms in the DivyaPrabandha, a literary canon written by the Alvar saints. The temple is the first of the 108 Divya Desams that have been built for Lord Vishnu. The temple is the most famous of the Vaishnava temples in southern India and has many legends and stories attached to it. The temple is majestically built and symbolizes strength and power especially since it is built on a vulnerable location. The temple remains under threat from natural calamities and during ancient times it came under attack from the invading forces of the Dutch, the Portuguese and the English.
 

Kallanai Dam which is also known as Grand Anicut is constructed over the River Kaveri. The area covered by the dam is 146 sq kms. The dam was built in the 1st century AD by King Karikalan of the Chola Dynasty and is believed to be the oldest water regulating structure of the world which is being used even to this day. The name Kallanai dam means stone dam which comes from the material used to build the structure. The dam is 329 mts long and 20 mts wide. The dam breaks into two channels on reaching the Sri Rangam Island and the northern channel which is called Kollidam ends at Poompuhar into the Bay of Bengal.
 

The Keezhperumpallam temple is dedicated to Lord Kethu though Lord Shiva and goddess Parvathi are also worshipped in the forms of Naganathaswamy and Soundaranayagi respectively in the temple. Since Lord Ketu is the presiding deity at the temple, there is an idol of God depicting him as half man and half snake. People affected by inappropriate position of Ketu in their astrological charts, throng to the temple for riddance from this dosha. It is believed that the temple was constructed in 12th century AD by the Chola Kings who were great devotees of Lord Shiva. Today, the temple is an important pilgrim centre for the people of Tamil Nadu and great saints like Sundarar, Appar and Sambandhar have sung songs in praise of the temple. According to a local legend, there is an underground tunnel that connects the temple at Keezhperumpallam with the Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur. However, no traces of the tunnel have been found despite repeated diggings.
 

The Poompuhar Beach is an ideal picnic spot. The beach is filled with black sand and has lots of shade making this the best spot to go to for a family picnic. The beach is the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the town. The water is not suitable for swimming though, owing to the fact that the sea is rough near the beach. But the beach provides ample opportunity to engage in various recreational activities at one’s own leisure.
 

Samayapuram Mariamman Temple is located in Srirangam town that is part of the Tiruchirappalli District. The Samayapuram temple is visited by hundreds of devotees each day and the temple is bursting at the seams on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays because a special puja or prayer is performed at the temple on these days. The devotees bring various sweets as offerings but the main offering is a sweet prepared using rice flour, ghee, dal and jiggery. This sweet is the Mavilakku Mavu and is considered a favourite of the Gods.