Thirunelly Temple
The Thirunelly Temple, located amidst the serene Brahmagiri hills and lush forests of the Wayanad district in Kerala, India, is an ancient and highly revered Hindu pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Maha Vishnu.
It is often called the "Kashi of the South" due to its profound religious significance and is considered the only temple where rituals for all stages of life, including for departed souls, can be performed.
Key Features and Significance
- Deity and Legend: The presiding deity is Lord Maha Vishnu in the form of Chaturbhuja (four-armed). According to mythology, the idol was installed by Lord Brahma himself under a sacred gooseberry tree (Nelli in Malayalam), which gives the temple its name ("Thirunelli" means "holy gooseberry").
- Architecture: The temple showcases classical, traditional Kerala architecture. It is a stunning stone structure with an inner sanctum, granite pillars, and an open courtyard, set in a natural valley at an altitude of around 900 meters. A notable feature is an ancient aqueduct system made of granite that channels mountain stream water to the temple.
- Papanashini Stream: A short walk from the temple leads to the holy mountain stream named Papanashini, which translates to "destroyer of sins". Devotees believe a ritual dip in its waters washes away all sins. This site is particularly significant for performing ancestral rites (Pithrukarma or Bali Tharpanam) for the emancipation of departed souls, a practice that likens the temple to Gaya in Bihar.
- Panchatheertham: A sacred pond near the temple, where a stone structure is believed to bear the footprints of Lord Rama, adds to the site's mythological importance.
Supreme Court Ruling on Temple Funds
In December 2025, the Supreme Court of India issued a significant ruling regarding the Thirunelly Temple's funds.
- Temple Money Belongs to the Deity: A bench ruled that "Every rupee offered in a temple is the property of God" and must be used exclusively for the interests and maintenance of the temple.
- Order to Cooperative Banks: The court upheld a Kerala High Court directive ordering several cooperative banks to return the temple's fixed deposits. The court stated that temple money cannot be used as a source of income or survival for banks "breathing with great difficulty," and the funds should instead be moved to a secure nationalized bank.
Renovations and Heritage Concerns
The temple is currently undergoing a substantial renovation project costing around ₹10 crore, which has attracted some controversy:
- ₹10 Crore Renovation: The project includes the renovation of the sanctum sanctorum and the laying of a granite pavement from the temple to the sacred Papanashini River.
- Archaeology Concerns: The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and others have raised concerns that some centuries-old, historically significant structures, such as the Vilakkumadom (an exquisite granite outer wall) and the Chuttambalam (structure around the sanctum), are being destroyed or insensitively remodeled in the process.
- High Court Intervention: In 2023, the Kerala High Court halted renovation works temporarily and appointed an advocate commissioner to investigate irregularities and potential damage to the temple's archaeological value. The commissioner's report recommended action against officials responsible for unauthorized construction, including building washrooms near the Papanashini stream, which risked contamination.
Recent Events
- Vavubali Rituals: Thousands of devotees continue to flock to the Papanashini River near the temple to perform the Pithru Tharpanam (ancestral rites) during the new moon days (Vavubali) in the Malayalam months of Karkkidakam and Thulam, most recently in July and October/November 2025.
- Political Visits: In November 2024, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the temple and performed rituals in the Papanashini stream, where her father and former PM Rajiv Gandhi's ashes were immersed in 1991.
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