Tirunelveli is the Headquarters of the Tirunelveli District. In the days of the Pandyas, it was their capital city for some time.

There is a story behind the name of the town Tirunelveli. Once there was a Brahmin in this town named Veda Sarma who was a great Siva Bhakta. He was very poor. Every day he went out begging and the alms thus gathered were used for offering naivedya to the Lord.

One day, when the brahmin was drying the paddy which he had collected for offering to Siva, it rained suddenly and it was feared that all the paddy might be washed away.

The Brahmin became much distressed and prayed for help to the Lord who took pity on him and protected the paddy from the rain by covering it and standing around it like a fence. So this place came to be known as Tiru Nel Veli (Tiru - means beautiful, Nel - means paddy and Veli - means fence). The Lord also came to be known as Nellaiappar.

The Devi is called Kanthimathi (Kanthi means lustre and Mathi means moon).

The temple, measuring 850 feet by 756 feet, is situated in the heart of the town. It was built by a Pandya king in the 7th Century. There are beautiful Mandapams and Teerthams in the temple.

It is stated that there are 32 tanks in this Sthala of which 9 are considered to be very sacred. Special mention should be made of a Mandaparn with 1000 pillars where the marriage festival of the Lord and the Devi is celebrated every year in the Tamil month of Aippasi corresponding to October-November.

Vasanta Utsavam also is conducted here in the month of April-May in the Vasanta Mandapam specially constructed for the purpose. There is another Mandaparn too known as Mani Mandapam. The pillars in this Mandaparn, numbering 48, give out unique musical sounds when struck gently. The Nandi in this temple is fairly big,similar to those at Tanjore and Rameswaram.

There are several legends connected with this shrine. One is as follows: In the south-eastern corner of the prakaram, a Siva Lingam, known as Anavarata Khan, has been enshrined. It is said that the wife of one of the Nawabs was suffering from some acute disease and consulted Brahmins as to how she might be cured of it.

The Brahmins advised her to worship Nellaiappar and perform some religious ceremonies in the temple. She readily agreed. To the surprise of all, the Muslim queen not only recovered from her disease but also gave birth to a male child. The boy was named Anavarata Khan and the shrine was built in a corner of the prakaram in memory of the Muslim queen and the prince.

An opening in the outer wall of the prakararn just opposite the shrine was provided so as to enable the Nawab and his son to worship the Lingam, standing outside the temple.

Another legend says that when the marriage of Siva and Parvati took place in the Himalayas the northern part of the country became so overcrowded that it began to sink. The southern part began to rise up. In order to restore equilibrium, Lord Siva deputed Sage Agastya to go to the south and restore the balance. 'Me Sage came to the south as directed by the Lord, and came to Tirunelveli where he obtained darsan of Siva.

The third legend is that Sri Rama came to this place and worshipped Nellaiappar when he came to the south in search of Sita.

There is yet another legend. Once Lord Siva took the form of a Lingam, came to Tirunelveli and took his abode here, with all the four Vedas standing around him as bamboo trees and providing him shade. So this Sthala is also known as Venu Vanarn (Venu means bamboo tree and Vanam means forest).