Papanasam
Papanasam is a small
village located at the foot hills of Western Ghats, on the banks of river Thamiraparni. The place is easily approachable from the nearest town
Tirunelveli.
It is believed, once there
was a Pandya king who got converted to Buddhism and ill-treated those among his
subjects who did not convert to Buddhism as he decreed. Unable to face the
harassment, a family with who were ardent devotees of Lord Shiva, left their
home with their two children and went to a neighboring state. Unfortunately the
family got caught up in a war that was raging there and the children, one boy
and the other a girl, got separated from each other. Many years later they
arrived in Banares the holy city, where they met each other, fell in love and
got married without realising that they were brother and sister. They found out
their mistake afterwards and sought ways of absolving their sin. They were
advised to wear black and to bathe in all the sacred waters in India and when
their black clothes turning white sill be an indication that they were absolved
of
their sin. Accordingly they went from place to place in search of redemption
and finally when they bathed in the river Thamiraparni at Papanasam their
clothes turned white thus indicating the absolution of their sin. Hence the
deity in this temple, Siva, is refered to as 'Papavinaseswarar' - the
redeemer of sins. The river
Thamiraparni passes in
front of the Temple. The Papanasam water falls and Banatheertham water falls in the river up
hills are very sacred, beautiful places.