Tam: தென்காசி teṉkāci
‘Southern Varanasi’ Town/District, Tamil Nadu
Tam: ten, ’south’ and Kas(h)i, ‘Varanasi, (City of) Light [Skt: kāśī, ‘light’, ‘splendour’].
Parakraman, a 15thC Pandyan king, had a dream in which Lord Siva told him to build him to match the Kasi Viswanath temple of Varanasi [see Sivakasi (TN)]
Apparently, Tenkasi, on the banks of Chittharu river, is holier than Varanasi. In Varanasi one has to die in order to attain salvation. In Tenkasi you can get it simply by being born here or living here.
Tenkasi was the last ever capital of the Pandyan dynasty.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Tamil Nadu place names.
Kasi Vishwanatha Temple, Tenkasi pandiaeee