Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry #109: Swetharanyeswarar Temple, Thiruvenkadu

Sudharshan
6 days ago
4 min read

சுவேதாரண்யேசுவரர் திருக்கோயில், திருவெண்காடு

This is a significant Sivan temple which is on the Navagraham pilgrimage circuit celebrating Lord Budhan or Mercury and is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams. Venmai means white and Kaadu is a forest in Tamil and Venkadu is a white forest. It is believed that there was a thicket of white trees in the midst of a dark forest here where the temple stood in ancient times. Swetha is white and Aranyam is forest in Sanskrit.

The Lord manifests in three forms here. He is Swetharanyeswarar or Venkaatteeswarar as a Sivalingam in the sanctum, as well as Natarajar and Aghora Moorthy, a unique and fierce form of Sivan found only at this temple. There are three shrines for the consort goddess in three forms, Brahma Vidyambigai, Swetha Maha Kaali and Durga. It is one of the 51 Sakthi Peetams. It is also one of the Sapthavana (7 forests) temples and a Pancha Aranya (5 special forests) temple. It finds mention in the Thiruvasagam and is considered a Thiruvasaga Sthalam. It is believed that Lord Nataraja performed the cosmic dance or Thaandavam here before he did so at Chidambaram. It is sometimes referred to as Adhi Chidambaram.

Legends say that the Devas once took refuge here to hide from an evil Asura. He fought with Lord Nandi who had tried to protect the Devas. Nandi was injured in this encounter and Lord Sivan himself had to manifest as Aghoramurthy, a unique and ferocious form to put the Asura down. Lord Sivan blessed Budhan or Mercury here making it a special place to worship the planetary deity, There are many other stories here attesting to the antiquity of the site. Pattinathar the 14th century Saivite ascetic was born here and grew up in nearby Poompuhar. Thiruvenkattu Nangai, the wife of Siruthondar Nayanar and the Saivite philosopher-saint Meikandar, author of the Sivagnanabotham were also born here.

It is believed that a temple existed here from the beginning of the first millennium. The literary evidence for the existence of a temple here comes from the Thevaram. Thirugnasampanthar and Thirunavukkarasar praise this temple in their pathigams in the early 7th century. The temple was completely rebuilt as a granite structure by Aditya Cholan I, one of the earliest founders of the Chola Empire, in the late 9th century. There are more than 100 sets of inscriptions here describing contributions by many kings including Aditya Karikalan, Uthama Cholan, Rajarajan I, Rajendran I, Vikrama Cholan, Veera Rajendra Cholan, Kulothungan I, Rajadhiraja Cholan II, Jatavarman Sundara Pandiyan, Kulasekhara Pandian of the Later Pandyan Empire , Virupanna Udayar, son of Harihara II and Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagar Empire and Thukoji of the Thanjavur Maratha dynasty among others. Vikrama Cholan (1118-1135) built the Vikrama Cholan Thirumandapam. A number of Chola queens including Sembiyan Mahadevi have made donations of bronzes, jewels, land, sheep etc to this temple according to well-documented inscriptions.

This east facing temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram at the eastern entrance and another five-tiered gopuram at the western entrance. There are 5 prakarams. The east facing shrine for the main consort Brahma Vidyambigai or Periyanayaki Amman is in the northwest corner of the outer prakaram. To the left of it is the special shrine for Lord Budhan or Mercury which is why this is considered a Navagraham temple. The navagraha idols are placed in a row here unlike the customary square formation. There is a special shrine for Aghoramurthy, a fierce and awe-inspiring form of Lord Sivan that is unique to this temple. There are three theerthams or bodies of water within the temple complex, Chandra Theertham, Suriya Theertham and Agni Theertham which are referred to as the Mukkulams. There are three temple trees or Thalavirutchams, the Vilvam, the Kondrai and the Vadaval. The Vilvam tree here uniquely does not have thorns. The Nandi has his head tilted looking at the Lord while keeping an ear cocked towards the Amman, paying attention to both. At around 12 acres it is not particularly large but a sizable temple nevertheless.

The temple Is administered by the HR and CE Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The major festival falls in the Tamil month of Masi (February/March) and is a 13 day affair called the Indra Vizha. There are several other festivals throughout the year. The sculptures and bronzes here are very beautiful and special. Some have been transferred to the Chennai Museum. Many are at the Thanjavur Art Gallery. Some are still found at the temple.

This is the 65th Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 11th on the north side of the Kaveri in Chola Nadu. It has the special distinction of having dedicated pathigams sung by all three of the Moovar (Sampanthar, Appar and Sundarar). Only 44 temples have that special status. Manickavasagar also mentions it in the Thiruvasagam.

Thirugnanasampanthar sings thus:

கண்காட்டு நுதலானுங்கனல்காட்டுங் கையானும்

பெண்காட்டும் உருவானும்பிறைகாட்டுஞ் சடையானும்

பண்காட்டும் இசையானும்பயிர்காட்டும் புயலானும்

வெண்காட்டில் உறைவானும்விடைகாட்டுங் கொடியானே

Thevaram 2.48

(The Lord who has an eye on his forehead and a flame in his hand, has graceful feminity in his form and the crescent in his locks, who is melodious as music, who is the storm that makes fertile fields, resides here at Venkadu with the bull on his banner)

Thirunavukkarasar says:

பண்காட்டிப்படியாயதன் பத்தர்க்குக்

கண்காட்டிக்கண்ணில்நின்ற மணியொக்கும்

பெண்காட்டிப்பிறைச்சென்னிவைத்தான்றிரு

வெண்காட்டையடைந்துய்ம்மடநெஞ்சமே

Thevaram 5.49

(He reveals himself in melody to his devotees, he fixes his gaze on them and shows himself like the jewel of their eyes, he reveals his feminine grace, my Lord with the crescent adorning his head, O innocent heart !!, go to Venkadu and be blessed by Him)

The temple is located 180 km or 3 hours east of Thiruchirapalli and about 100 km or 2 hours south of Pondicherry. It is 25 km or 40 minutes east of Mayiladuthurai and 25 km or 1 hour north of Tharangambadi. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam.

Sources:

Dinamalar Temples - Suvedharanyeswarar Temple (Tamil)

N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu Pages 32-40

Shaivam.org - Thevaram