Uthirakosamangai

Uthirakosamangai, the Mangalanatha Swamy Temple, is a Shiva shrine about 17 km west of Ramanathapuram, spread over some 20 acres. Its chief shrines are those of Mangalanathar, his consort Mangalambigai and Natarajar. The temple's legend centres on a thousand sages: when Shiva appeared as fire from the Agni Theertham, 999 of them threw themselves in, and the one who stayed to guard the sacred texts was reborn as the saint Manikkavasagar. Shiva then appeared as a thousand lingams for them.

The temple's treasure is an ancient Nataraja image about six feet tall, carved from emerald. A hall holds the thousand lingams, and a seven-tiered rajagopuram rises over the complex. At the entrance to the main precinct, carved yalis grip stone balls in their mouths that visitors can roll by hand. Tradition also links the town with the Pandya kings as a former capital. Six rituals take place daily, and festivals include Thirukalyanam in Chittirai and Arudra Darshan.