Manavur, situated near Thiruvalangadu, is home to many temples, one of them being the large and ancient Nandishwarar (Siva) temple. There is an ancient Tamil saying — Adiyadhu Alangatil; Amarndadu Thiruvuralil; Manandadu Manavuril (Siva danced in Thiruvalangadu, rested in Thiruvural (Kuvam) and got married in Manavur). This refers to the famous dance competition between Nataraja and Goddess Kali in Thiruvalangadu, and the tradition that this deity rested in the well-known village of Kuvam and gave darshan, along with Goddess Parvati in the Thirumanakolam (marriage ceremony) to Sage Agastya. This place is called Manavur as the word manam, short for thirumanam, in Tamil means ‘marriage’.
According to the Sthala Puranam or traditional story of this temple, Nandi, Siva’s vahana (vehicle), created a small tank here, bathed, and worshipped the Siva Linga here and attained moksha (liberation). This temple is therefore called Nandishwarar temple. The sacred tank (pushkarini), which is situated just outside the gopuram on the south, has traditionally been called ‘Nandi Tirtham’. The main entrance with a stately gopuram is on the south, although the principal sanctum faces east. The gopuram opens into a wide open prakaram (enclosure) with a six-pillar mandapam straight ahead. Devotees then come to another ancient mandapam in which the processional images of Nataraja and Sivakami are enshrined and to the left is the east-facing sanctum enshrining the Linga worshipped as Nandishwarar. The inner prakaram which goes around the main shrine has deities such as Kali Matha, Ganesha, Gajalakshmi, Subramanya, Bhairava, Suryanarayana, and Chandikeshwara in worship.
Evidence from the inscriptions here reveal that Manavur was part of the territorial subdivision called Manavir Kottam. Numerous inscriptions have been etched on the base of the outer wall of the central sanctum which belong to the Chola and subsequent eras.
There is also a small hole in the east wall of this shrine through which Nandi, who is consecrated outside, can have a glimpse of his beloved deity. Nandi, the dvajastambham (flag-post) and bali-pitham are on the east side. The inner prakaram leads to the sanctum of Goddess Anandavalli Amman (Parvati), which faces south.
Many festivals are celebrated here such as the Brahmotsavam (annual festival) in the month of Vaikasi and Chitra Pournami (full moon in the month of April-May) which is very important for Ambal.