Masilamaninathar Temple, Tharangambadi
Masilamaninathar Temple, also called Alappur, is a Siva temple in Tharangambadi town, Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu. It lies about 8 km from Tirukkadayur and about 300 meters north of the Danish Dansborg Fort. It is one of India's few shore temples and is among the Vaippu Sthalams praised by the Tamil Saivites Appar and Sundarar.
The main deity is Masilamaninathar (also called Masilamanisvarar or Masilanathar), with his consort Akilandesvari. The old temple stood very close to the sea, and waves once touched its walls. In the outer walls (kosta) you find Dakshinamurthi and Lingotpavar, and there is also a Vinayaka shrine. In front of the sanctum are Nandi and the balipeeta. The present temple stands just in front of the old one.
The temple was re-consecrated on 1 September 2013 (kumbhabhishekham). Inside the sanctum is the presiding deity, with Nandi and balipeeta in front. To the left is the shrine of the goddess. In the kosta are Dakshinamurthy, Lingotpava and Brahma. The prakara houses shrines to Vinayaka, Subramania with Valli and Deivanai, Balamuruga, Akilandesvari and Gajalakshmi, followed by Chandikeswara and the Navagraha shrine. Nearby are Chandra, Surya and Bairava. Inscriptions mention Kulasekarapatnam and Sadakanbadi.
The temple is over 700 years old, built by Pandya king Maravarman Kulasekara Pandiyan I in 1306. Its architecture blends Tamil and Chinese styles to attract Chinese merchants who visited India at that time.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:53 (CET).