Shenbagapozhil in Tamil means champak tree-lined rainforest. In the fifteenth century, Lord Shiva is said to have had appeared in the dream of King Parakrama Pandya, who ruled the Shenbagapozhil area. In that dream, he was said that a lingam worshiped by the Pandya's ancestors was in the Shenbaga forest. He was said that ants could be found crawling out of their fort and if they followed the ants, the lingam could be found. He was also told by Shiva to construct a temple there. The reason is the order from Shiva, Shiva devotees in the south die before reaching Kashi on their way to Varanasi in the north. So for them to get my grace, build a city equaling that of Varanasi in the south. Obeying his words, King Parakrama Pandya built the Tenkasi gopuram for his ancestor-worshiped lingam. The word Tenkasi translates to South Kashi (ten or then meaning south in Tamil). The town was called the Tenkasi after the temple.