karunellinathar temple is believed to have been built by pandyas. there are a host of inscriptions in the temple indicating information related to the gifts offered to the temple. one of the inscription from 1032 ce indicates the temples as paramaswamy who willingly chose the hillock as his abode. a lake by name of vallabha pereri existed by the side of the temple. the temple is believed to have been expanded by gurukalathirayan, the minister of sundara pandya during the pandyan regime in 1233 ce. ulli bomman kalangatha kanda nayakar, who attained martyrdom in a war at thiruthangal, was sanctified by donating the places around thiruthangal to his family. an image of the warrior is found in the temple.