It is believed that Lord Ram chose a bed of Darbha grass in this place. Tirupullani is a Tamil word. Tiru means sacred, Pula states the great sage named Pula Maharishi and Ani means forest. The place is also known as Pullaranyam (the forest of grass) and Dharbasayanam (the bed of the sacred grass to rest on).

The Peepal Tree, situated inside the Adi Jagannatha Temple, is a prime attraction. The sacred teerthams found here are Hema Theertham and Ratnakara Samudram. Ramanathaswamy Temple, Gandhmadhana Parvatam, Sri Kodandarama Temple and Sri Anjaneya Temple are nearby interesting pilgrimage site.

Tirupullani is about 64 km from Rameshwaram and 154 km from Madurai Airport.