Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry #108: Naganathaswamy Temple, Keelaperumpallam or Keezhaperumpallam

நாகநாதசுவாமி திருக்கோயில், கீழப்பெரும்பள்ளம்

Keezhaperumpallam

Keezhaperumpallam

Keezhaperumpallam

Keezhaperumpallam

Keezhaperumpallam

Keezhaperumpallam

This is the temple associated with Kethu in the Navagraha pilgrimage circuit. Like Raahu, Kethu is not a real planet or physical entity. It is sometimes referred to as a shadow planet. It is the south or descending lunar node where the moon's orbit coincides with the solar ecliptic on its southern arc. It is a point in space where eclipses tend to occur and is of great significance in Indian astrology. It is a Sivan temple. Many sources describe it as a Thevara Vaippu Sthalam. That means that it has been mentioned in passing in the Thevaram canon but has no dedicated pathigam attributed to it. However we have not been able to find the exact verse that mentions it nor a credible reference to corroborate the claim that this is a Vaippu Sthalam. Nevertheless, it is very popular with pilgrims as a temple in the Navagraham group of temples.

Legends hold that during the churning of the Milky Ocean by the Devas and Asuras, in their quest for the holy elixir of Amirtham, they used the divine serpent king Vasuki as a rope. During this process a great poison ensued from the mouth of the snake which threatened the entire universe. Lord Sivan saved all of creation by consuming that venom and Parvati put a hold on his throat to prevent him from swallowing it. The poison got stuck in his throat and turned his neck blue and he thus gained the name Neelakandan - the Blue Throated One. The Lord gave Darshan to Vasuki at this site and stayed on at the divine snake's request to bless devotees.

If it is indeed a Thevara Vaippu Sthalam, there must have been a temple in this locale in the 7th and 8th centuries. It is believed that there was a Chola era temple here. The current core structures are from the much later Nayakkan era. There are no significant inscriptions. Much of what we see today is recent, modern construction. The site could be ancient but the present physical structures are likely not. Perhaps there was a temple here that fell into irreparable damage and decay and was eventually lost but the memory of the site survived. The other possibility is that a grand temple was never meant to be built in the first place due to the austere nature of Kethu worship. It seems to have not received the royal patronage many other temples in the region have received. Also, the Navagraha pilgrimage is not an ancient practice. It is a fairly recent phenomenon popularised by astrologers and media and has now become an established practice. So it might not have been an important site in ancient times.

It is a fairly small temple and lacks impressive architecture. The importance is the site itself. It has only one prakaram. There is no towering rajagopuram. The main entranceway has a flat gopuram, a Mottai Gopuram. The sanctum sanctorum houses the presiding deity Lord Sivan in the form of a Sivalingam. It is an east facing shrine. The shrine for Goddess Soundaryanayaki is in the mahamandapam and faces south. The shrine for Lord Kethu is in the prakaram, to the left of the sanctum and faces west. The temple is known for this shrine. The idol for Lord Kethu is a 5 headed serpent paying homage to Lord Sivan. There is no separate shrine for the Navagrahams but there are idols for Lord Saneeswarar and Lord Suryan here, The theertham is the Nagatheertham in front of the temple. The Sthala Virutcham is the Bamboo tree. The major festival is the Vasuki Utsavam in the Tamil month of Panguni (March/ April). Lord Kethu is brought out in procession on the 3rd day. The temple is under the control of the HR and CE.

The temple is located 150 km or 3 hours east of Thiruchirapalli and 120 km or 2.5 hours south of Pondicherry. It 25 km or 40 minutes east of Mayiladuthurai and 25 km or 40 minutes north of Tharangambadi. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam.

Sources:

Dinamalar Temples - Naganathar Temple Kilperumpallam

kethutemple.org - Naganathaswamy Temple Keezhaperumpallam

Velutharan Temples Visit - Sr Naganathaswamy Temple. Keelaperumpallam

Courtesy Google Maps