[1][2] Tirunilakanta Nayanar belonged to Chidambaram, famous for its Thillai Nataraja Temple dedicated to the god Shiva, patron of Shaivism.

He and his wife specially revered the Nilakanta (Tirunilakanta, "Blue Throated one") form of Shiva, who drank the Halahala poison and saved the universe.

It is not clear by what she meant, but her husband took the meaning that she refrained him from touching all women ("us") by the name of the god Nilakanta.

But, Tirunilakanta refused to do so, due to his vow, the incensed left and appealed to the Brahmin priests of the temple for justice.

[4][5] The Brahmin court heard both sides and ordered the potter to swear his innocence in the holy tank.

Tirunilakanta and his wife entered the temple pond, each holding an end of a bamboo stick.

Ultimately, the potter revealed the whole story - which was concealed from the world till then - about his private life and his vow to the assembled Brahmins and the ascetic.

Pleased by the couple's devotion and sexual restraint, Shiva took them to his abode Kailash, where they are said to have lived ever young.

[8] A maxim by Sivadevayya, also known as Visweswara Siva Desika, the guru and minister of the Kakatiya king Kakati Ganapati Deva (1199-1260), part of his lost Telugu sataka (a poem with more than hundred lines) Siva-devadhimani Satakamu says that one must be like Siriyala in childhood, Sundarar in youth and Gundaya (Tirunilakanta Nayanar) in old age; if one has no faith in Shiva then "his birth is burden and life is futile".

[9] Gopalakrishna Bharati (1810–1896) wrote a short opera named Tirunilakantha Nayanar Charitram on his life.

[10] Tirunilakanta Nayanar is worshipped in the Tamil month of Thai, when the moon enters the Vishakha nakshatra (lunar mansion).

The temple is said to be built by the devotee Vyaghrapada, long before Tirunilakanta Nayanar's times and was also as Thiruppuleeswarar.