kailAsh is the highly worshipped mount of Shaivites, which is main among the auspicious abodes of Lord shiva. In the south Tamilnadu on the banks of river thAmiraparaNi there are nine abodes renowned as n^ava kayilAyam (nine kailAsh).

History:

Sage agasthiyar was doing penance in the podhikai hills. One of his prime disciples was urOmacha munivar. He prayed Lord pashupathi to get liberation. The Lord wanted to bless this to him through his guru agasthiyar. agasthiyar put nine flowers in the river and asked urOmacha munivar to install a shiva liN^gam as kailAsha n^Athar, wherever the flowers dock on the bank and finally bathe and worship the Lord in the place where the river joins the ocean, by doing so he would get what he wished. Adhering to his guru's words, munivar worshipped the Stain-thraoted Lord in the nine places where the nine flowers stopped in the form of shiva liN^gam and finally bathed in the place where thAmiraparaNi joined the ocean and got liberated. These nine abodes are called n^ava kayilAyam.

These nine temples are:

1. pApanAcham

2. chEran mahA dhEvi

   tm

3. kOdaka n^allUr

4. kunnaththUr

5. muRappa n^Adu

6. shri vaikuntam

7. then thiruppErai

8. rAjapathi

9. chErn^dha maN^galam

Location:

State : Tamil Nadu 
District : Thirunelveli