'Thiruchendur' means a sacred and prosperous town of victory. The temple was originally constructed on the sandstone reefs of the beach, but due to corrosion by the sea, the stone began to disintegrate. A noble sannyasin, Mouna Swami, took up the renovation work and it was followed by two others in succession for 72 years and the noble edifice of three prakarams was constructed anew in black granite stone. The Thiruchendur Temple is the celebrated seashore temple of Lord Subrahmanya. The temple is on the shore of the Gulf of Mannar. The surging cool tides of the sea wash the foot of the temple. There is no other shrine in Tamil Nadu with such a beautiful natural setting. The Gulf of Mannar is shallow and is safe for sea bath.

Before entering the temple pilgrims either wash their feet or take a bath in the sea. The bathing that contains nine teerthams according to the sthalapuranam. A bath in any of these teerthams is believed to confer miraculous benefits on a devotee. It is said that once, when Brahma lost one of his five heads due to the anger of Siva, he came to this teertha, took a holy dip in it and had his head restored.

The gopuram is on the west (instead of being in the east as usual because of the sea) and is a gigantic structure of nine storeys with a height of 137 feet, commanding a good view of the surrounding area. History states that the gopurarn was constructed roughly 300 years ago by Desikamurti Swami, an Odukathu Tambiran of the then Head or Maha Sannidhanam of Tiruvaduturai Mutt, Tanjore District.