An ancient temple dedicated to Lord Maha Vishnu on the side of Brahmagiri hill

Thirunelli Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Maha Vishnu on the side of Brahmagiri hill in Kerala, near the border with Karnataka state. The temple is at an altitude of about 900m in north Wayanad in a valley surrounded by mountains and beautiful forests. It is 32 km away from Manathavady.

Thirunelli Temple in Wayanad is among the premier shrines in the State. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it is a calm and serene place that attracts a large number of devotees annually.

Revered by Lord Vishnu, Thirunelli is an ancient temple, formed during the reign of Bhaskara Ravi Varma, a Chola king (962–1019 CE). This shrine is perhaps the only temple in the world, where devotees can perform all the rituals, related to life, starting from birth to death to after death. People from all over the world come to perform their ancestral rites.

Beneath the temple, a wild stream makes it way called Papanasini. The water stream is originated from Brahmagiri Hills and later joins River Kalindi. The streams possess powers to dissolve sins of all the mortals. At Papanasini, there is a sacred rock called Pinnappara where ritual offerings to the spirits of the departed are made (known as bali).

The drive to the temple offers devotees a taste of dense forests, elephant sanctuaries and bamboo forests.