Haridra Nadhi Tank

Haridra Nadhi Tank is a large temple tank located in Mannargudi, Tiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu, adjoining the Rajagopalaswamy Temple. Spread over about 23 acres, it is regarded as one of the largest temple tanks in India and is fed by the Pamini River. The tank features stepped stone ghats and 16 pillared mandapams and serves as the sacred water body for temple rituals, including the annual float festival. It is a prominent cultural and architectural landmark of the town.

Visitors can expect a vast rectangular open water body with stepped stone ghats on all four sides and 16 mandapams located within and around the tank. The tank lies adjacent to the Rajagopalaswamy Temple complex and is surrounded by town streets. Visitors can walk along the embankments, view the pillared halls, observe the ghats used for ritual purposes, and see the tank bed and structures. During festival periods, the tank hosts the Theppotsavam float festival with decorated floats.

Haridra Nadhi Tank is the temple tank of the Rajagopalaswamy Temple, whose origins are traced to the Chola period and which was later expanded by the Thanjavur Nayaks and Thanjavur Marathas. The tank was constructed to serve the temple's ritual needs and as a water reservoir for the town, with its mandapams and ghats reflecting Nayak and later architectural additions.

The tank is considered sacred and is integral to the rituals of the Rajagopalaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna as Rajagopalaswamy. It is central to the annual Theppotsavam (float festival) when the temple deities are taken on a decorated float in the tank, attracting devotees. The tank and its mandapams are important for religious bathing and temple ceremonies.