Uthirakosamangai temple

Mangalanathaswamy temple, also known as Uthirakosamangai temple, is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The presiding deity is Lord Mangalanathar and his consort is Goddess Mangaleshwari. Lord Shiva is in his self manifested form(Swayambulinga). The majestic Nandi in the outer precinct is known as Pradosha Nandi. This temple town is believed to be the place where Lord Shiva transferred the secrets of Vedas to Parvati.

The idol of Natarajar made out of emerald is an uncommon sight not found in any other temple. It is known as Maragadha Natarajar wholly smeared with sandal paste. The sandal paste is removed only in the month of December/January(Tamil month Margazhi) on Thiruvathirai star day to perform abhishekam. This special darshan is known as Arudhra darshan. Several thousands of devotees throng the temple during this event since the idol is then again covered with sandal paste.

As per legend, Mandodhari, the then wife of Ravana, was desirous of marrying an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. She offered her prayers to Lord Shiva to fulfill such a wish. Lord Shiva handed over the veda scripts to the sages to safeguard them till he returns after gracing his blessings on Mandodhari. Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a small boy to Mandodhari. When Ravana deliberately touched the boy knowing it is Lord Shiva, the Lord tested Ravana by converting himself into fire(Agni), resulting in the entire world getting blazed. Due to their guilt of being unable to safeguard the veda scripts from fire everywhere, the sages threw themselves into the temple tank and lost their lives. It is only sage Manikavasagar who saved the scripts and handed over to Lord Shiva. Hence the temple has a separate shrine for sage Manikavasagar.

Unlike other temples where devotees worship the Lord once during their visit, this temple is where devotees offer their prayers thrice a day. Worshipping the God and Goddess in the morning will remove the sins of previous birth, worshipping in the afternoon removes the sins of present birth and worshipping in the evening grants longevity, professional development and profitability. Goddess Mangaleswari is believed to remove the obstacles and delay in marriage. Devotees perform abhishekam and offer vastras to the God and Goddess.

Temple Timings:

06:00 AM to 11:00 AM

04:00 PM to 08:00 PM

Temple Address:

Sri Mangalanathar-Mangaleswari temple, Utrakosamangai, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu 623533.

Temple Contact Details:

Phone: +91-4567 221213, +91-9442757691

How to reach:

By Air:

The nearer airport to the temple is that of Madurai at a distance of 120 km.

By Rail:

The nearest railway station is that of Ramanathapuram at a distance of 18 km.

By Road:

Private and public transportation are available from Ramanathapuram which is just 18 km from the temple. Adequate buses are available from major cities of Tamil Nadu to Ramanathapuram.