Bhoothalingaswamy Temple

Overview

The Bhoothalinga swamy temple is a well known temple located at Boothapandi, in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. Boothapandi is a village which lies 7kms north east of Nagercoil, a famous town in the Kanyakumari district. The temple is believed to have been built by King Pasum Pon Pandyan, who is the son of King Boothapandiyan. The village of Boothapandy is located on the foot of the hill Thadakaimalai, near the banks of River Pazhaiyar. According to the epic Ramayana, Thadakai Malai is considered the adobe of the evil demoness Tataka. The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Bhoothalinga swamy, who is also known by the local name Salian Kanda Thirumani.

About the deity

The presiding deity of his temple is Lord Shiva in the form of Lord Bhoodhalinga swamy. Lord Shiva graces his devotees in the Swayambu form (Self Formed) here. The temple has a separate sanidhi (sanctum) for Lord Ganesha, worshipping him is said to fulfill one’s prayers. There are separate shrines dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya Swamy and Lord Ayyappa. The temple is built within a cave. The Flag hoisting pole of this temple is very tall. The temple’s car ( Ratha) here is believed to be very heavy and old. A separate shrine dedicated to the revered Tamil Poet Avvaiyar is located about 5 Kms from this Bhootha linga Swamy temple.

About the Temple

The temple is said to have been built by the Pandya king Pasum Pon Pandyan. Long ago, there lived man who owned a lot of cows. On milking his cows daily, he is said to have noticed that one of the cow doesn’t give him enough milk when compared to rest. He doubted that someone was stealing the milk from that particular cow and thus decided to follow it. The cow is believed to have gone into a small cave which was surrounded by bushes. It reportedly sprayed its milk over the bush. The perplexed owner initially feared that there could be some devil (called Bootham in tamil) on that place which is sucking the milk from that cow. Out of fear, none of the villagers wanted to go near that bush and also the weird cow. When the Pandya king came to know of this news, he sent his army to find out the truth. In order to resolve the mystery surrounding the bush, the king’s army cleared the bush and is said to have found a Suyambu Linga. They returned back of their kingdom and informed their king about the Shiva Linga under the bush. The King is then said to have ordered to build a huge temple for this deity and thus this Linga got the name Bhoothalinga Swamy. This temple is believed to be around 500-600 years old. According to mythology, the temple is located at the spot where Rama quelled Thadagai.

Festivals

The Pongal festival in the month of Thai and the Tamil new year in the month of Chithirai are the major festivals celebrated in this temple.

How to Reach Bhoothalingaswamy Temple

Road

The nearest bus station is the Boothapandi bus stop.

Railways

The nearest railhead is the Nagercoil Junction station.

Airport

The closest airport is the Trivandrum International Airport.

Temple Address

Bhoothalingaswamy Temple,
Boothapandi, Kanyakumari District,
Tamil Nadu - 629852.