தர்ப்பாரண்யேஸ்வரர் கோயில் (திருநள்ளாறு)Dharbaranyeswarar (Saniswaran) Temple, Thirunallar

Sthala Mahātmyam

The Dharbaranyeswarar Temple at Thirunallar, in the Karaikal district of the Union Territory of Puducherry, is the most famous of the Navagraha temples, dedicated to Shani (Saturn). Its shrines include Shiva as Dharbaranyeswarar, his consort Parvati as Praneswari Amman, Shani (Saniswaran) and Somaskanda (Shiva with Parvati and Murugan). Thirunallar is the pre-eminent Saturn kshetra, where devotees seek relief from the trials of Sani — the seven-and-a-half-year Sade Sati and the Ardhashtama period. According to tradition, pilgrims first bathe in the temple's Nala Theertham tank, linked to the legend of King Nala, who was freed here from the grip of Saturn's malefic influence, before worshipping the Lord; the town's name derives from 'dharbaranya,' a forest of sacred dharba grass. The present masonry structure dates from the Chola period (9th century), with later Vijayanagara additions. By far the most celebrated event is the Sani Peyarchi festival, a great two-day gathering held roughly every two and a half years when Saturn changes signs, drawing enormous crowds.