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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Karunellinathar
| image = Thiruthankal3.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in Tamil Nadu
| coordinates = {{coord|9|28|51|N|77|48|39|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| native_name = Karunellinathar Swamy Temple
| country = India
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Virudhunagar district|Virudhunagar]]
| location = [[Thiruthangal]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Karunellinathar<br />([[Shiva]])
Chokki<br />([[Parvathi]])
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}

'''Karunellinathar temple''' is a [[Hindu temple]] dedicated to [[Shiva]] in [[Thiruthangal]], a town in the outskirts of [[Sivakasi]], in Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Karunellinathar, and is represented by the ''[[lingam]]'' and his consort [[Parvati]] is depicted as Chokki Amman.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

It is built on a hillock {{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=on}} and houses a small gateway tower known as ''[[gopurams]]''.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

== Legend ==
[[File:Thiruthankal temple (1).jpg|200px|left|thumb|Ninra Narayana Peruma, which is located on the other side of this temple]]
As per a Hindu legend, [[Ranganatha]] (the reclining form of Vishnu) from [[Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple]] was enamoured by the devotion of [[Andal]]. He started a journey to [[Srivilliputhur Divya Desam]] to seek her hand for marriage. While reaching the place, it became dark and he decided to spend the night in the place. Since he stayed at this place, it came to be known as Thiruthangal and the hillock came to be known as Thalagiri.<ref name=M>{{cite book|title=15 Vaishnava Temples of Tamil Nadu|last=M.|first=Rajagopalan|pages=129–142|publisher=Govindaswamy Printers|location=Chennai, India|year=1993}}</ref>

As per another legend, the [[Pandavas]] from [[Mahabharatha]] were living in exile and were roaming around the forest of Western Ghats. They could not get water for performing their daily pooja. As Sun was rising, [[Arjuna]], one of the princes, prayed to [[Ganga]] to send water to the place and shot an arrow that split earth and brought forth a river. The river that originated is believed to be the Arjuna river in modern times.<ref name=dinamalar>{{cite web|title=Sri Karunellinathaswamy (Murugan) temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=815|publisher=Dinamalar|year=2011|access-date=12 October 2015}}</ref> The place where the temple was located was believed to be housing two Amla trees (called ''nelli'' in Tamil) and hence got the name as Irunellinathar, which later went on to become Karunellinathar.<ref>{{cite report|title=Excavations of Archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu(1969-95)|editor=T.S. Sridhar|publisher=Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai|year=2004|url=http://210.212.62.26/pdf_files/books/Excavations%20of%20archaeological%201969-1995%20part%20001.pdf|page=7|archive-date=4 March 2016|access-date=12 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083910/http://210.212.62.26/pdf_files/books/Excavations%20of%20archaeological%201969-1995%20part%20001.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
Karunellinathar temple is believed to have been built by [[Pandyas]]. There are a host of inscriptions in the temple indicating information related to the gifts offered to the temple. One of the inscription from 1032 CE indicates the temples as Paramaswamy who willingly chose the hillock as his abode. A lake by name of Vallabha Pereri existed by the side of the temple. The temple is believed to have been expanded by Gurukalathirayan, the minister of Sundara Pandya during the Pandyan regime in 1233 CE. Ulli Bomman Kalangatha Kanda nayakar, who attained martyrdom in a war at Thiruthangal, was sanctified by donating the places around Thiruthangal to his family. An image of the warrior is found in the temple.<ref name=M/>

==The temple==
[[File:Thiruthankal temple (21).jpg|250px|left|thumb|Pillared hall inside the temple]]
It is built on a hillock {{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=on}} and houses a small gateway tower known as ''[[gopurams]]''. The temple has many shrines, with those of Karunellinathar and Chokki Amman being the most prominent. The temple is located on the other side of [[Ninra Narayana Perumal temple]], a Vishnu temple and can be reached from that temple on the hillock. The temple is a rock cut temple and the main shrine of the temple is of Karunellinathar. There are separate shrines for [[Vinayaka]], [[Surya]], [[Chandra]] and [[Dakshinamurthi]]. There is a huge life size stone image of [[Nataraja]] and [[Sivakami]] and housed in the dancing hall of the temple.<ref>{{cite book|title=SEEING SPIRITUAL INDIA: A Guide to Temples|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1JJCgAAQBAJ&q=karunellinathar+temple&pg=PT364|page=364|publisher=iUniverse|year=2008|last=Knapp|first=Stephen |isbn=9780595614523}}</ref>

The temple is more known for the shrine of Palaniandavar, which is found near the entrance of the temple. Arumugha Tambiran was an ardent devotee of [[Muruga]]. He used to travel to [[Palani]] carrying a [[kavadi]] and returned to Thiruthangal the same day. As years rolled by, Thambiran found it difficult to travel all the way to Palani. He used to ascend a few steps and then return. While cooking food one day, god Murugan showered gold coins in his route. He took up the gold coins and built the shrine of Palani Andavar. The place where he died is marked by a mutt and his articles are still maintained.<ref name=M/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External==
{{Shaivism}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in Virudhunagar district]]
[[Category:Shiva temples in Virudhunagar district]]

Karunellinathar temple - Revision history

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