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உமாமகேசுவரர் திருக்கோயில் கோனேரிராஜபுரம் அல்லது திருநல்லம் This quiet Sivan temple in the Chola heartland is packed with historical and religious significance. A Paadal Petra Sthalam, it was an important Sivasthalam much before the ascent of the Imperial Cholas. But its significance also stems from its association with Sembiyan Mahadevi, Chola queen and temple builder par excellence. The village used to be called Thirunallam in ancient times. Konerirajapuram is a name that was given in later eras. The temple is often referred to as the Natarajar temple because of the massive bronze of Lord Nataraja here. Commissioned by Sembiyan Mahadevi, it is one of the oldest Nataraja idols this deep in the Chola country. Umamaheswarar is a compound of Uma and Maheswarar, symbolising the unity of the feminine and masculine, Shakthi and Sivan in Saivite Hindu belief systems. Legends say that when the Nataraja idol was first commissioned, the sculptor struggled to get it to perfection. He was a devoted believer in Lord Sivan. One day he was deeply engrossed in his work when an old couple approached him and asked for some water to drink. The annoyed sculptor told them that he did not have any water but only had molten metal. They asked whether they could drink it and before the sculptor could react, they had both drunk it. And, lo and behold, they turned into beautiful idols of Lord Nataraja and Goddess Sivakami. When the king visited the next day, he did not believe the tale and struck the idol with his sword and to his terror, the idol bled. The mark of the sword is still there. Thus, the sculpture is believed to be of divine origin and not man-made. It is said that when King Gandaradityan and his young bride Sembian Mahadevi visited the Natarajar temple in the Thillai forest for the first time, the young princess was so taken up by the idol that she wanted the same idol close to home. Thus the Natarajar bronze came to be installed here at Thirunallam when she became a powerful queen in later years. The temple is an example of early Chola architecture. Although added to in later eras, it has retained its Chola character. Sembiyan Mahadevi made extensive renovations here in memory of her husband, the king who became an acetic, Gandaraditya Cholan, after his death in the mid 10th century. Present in the 7th century as a brick structure, it was entirely rebuilt by Sembiyan Mahadevi into a granite building. It was reconsecrated in 973. There are a number of valuable inscriptions dated to the periods of Gangaraditya Cholan, Uthama Cholan, Rajaraja Cholan I, Rajendra Cholan I, Rajadhiraja Cholan I, Rajendra Cholan II, Kulothunga Cholan I, Kulothunga Cholan III, Rajaraja Cholan II and Rajaraja Cholan III. These inscriptions describe donations and contributions towards the upkeep of the temple by various benefactors over the centuries. The temple was also extensively renovated by Vijayanagar rulers in the 15th and 16th centuries. The temple is facing west which is unusual. West facing temples are rare. Most temples face east with very few facing other directions. There is no rajagopuram. There is a 3 tier, second level gopuram. There are two prakarams. The square shaped Karuvarai has 4 pillars supporting it, representing the 4 Vedas. It is topped by a beautiful vimanam that is 8 sided and curvilinear and is of an Ashtadwarapala design. It is not part of the initial construction and is a later addition, perhaps installed during Vijayanagar times. The sanctum is occupied by the presiding deity, Lord Umamaheswarar in Sivalingam form. The idol is 4.5 feet tall. On the southern, inner wall of the prakaram, there is a 10th century bas-relef sculpture of Gandaraditya Cholan and Sembiyan Mahadevi with a set of inscriptions below it. They mention that Queen Sembiyan Mahadevi renovated the temple in memory of her husband. The back koshtam has a Lingothbavar flanked by Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma, representing the trinity and is also unusual. The famous, large Nataraja bronze is housed in a shrine of its own in the prakaram to the left of the sanctum as you face it. It is 8.5 feet tall and 5.5 feet in width. There is a beautiful bronze of Goddess Sivagami beside it. The temple is known for its large collection of exquisite Chola bronzes. The Amman, Angavalanayaki or Mangalanayaki has her own elaborate shrine facing east in the outer prakaram. This is the 151st Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 34th on the south side of the Kaveri River. Thirugnasampanthar and Thirunavukkarasar visited here and rendered Thevaram pathigams. Thirugnanasampanthar extols thus: கல்லால் நிழல்மேய கறைசேர் கண்டாவென் றெல்லா மொழியாலும் இமையோர் தொழுதேத்த வில்லால் அரண்மூன்றும் வெந்து விழவெய்த நல்லான் நமையாள்வான் நல்லம் நகரானே (The celestial beings worship and praise Him in all the languages known, as the one who teaches under the Kallala banyan tree and has a stain on his throat. He burnt and destroyed the 3 fortresses of the Asuras with his bow and arrow, He is good and he rules over us. He dwells here at Nallam) Thevaram 1.085 The sthalavirutchams are the Arasamaram (Peepal tree or Sacred Fig) and the Vilvam. There are two. The Vilvam here strangely has 13 leaves to every stem. Of the four theerthams associated with the temple, the large and beautiful Sakthi Theertham is found just outside the temple complex. The Saneeswarar shrine here is very special and the idol is clothed in white garments and not black as it is customary elsewhere. There are two Brahmotsavams, The Vaikasi Visakam in May/June and the Margazhi Thiruvadhirai in December/January. The Vaikasi Visakam festival is the more important one, when hundreds of devotees from surrounding villages congregate with much fervour. The temple is located about 120 km or 2 hours east of Thiruchirapalli and 150 km or 3 hours south of Pondicherry. It is 22 km or 30 minutes east of Kumbakonam and 30 km or 1 hour southwest of Mayiladuthurai. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam Sources: Dinamalar Temples - Uma Maheswarar Temple, Konerirajapuram N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu: Thanjavur Pages 71-72 Thevaram Shaivam.org Anirudh Kanisetti, Lords of Earth and Sea - A History of the Chola Empire. Pages 43-53 Courtesy Google Maps

மேகநாதர் அல்லது லலிதாம்பிகை திருக்கோயில், திருமீயச்சூர் This fairly small but beautiful Sivan temple is a twin Paadal Petra Sthalam. There are two Sivan shrines here that have been celebrated with Thevaram pathigams. The main or presiding deity is Mehanadhar in the form of a Sivalingam. There is also another Sivan sannidhi at this temple which is known as the Ilamkoyil (இளம் கோயில்) and the Lord there is Sakalabhuvaneswarar. Both Sivan shrines have dedicated pathigams of their own, making them both Paadal Petra Sthalams in their own right. But the temple is most popular because of the Ambigai's shrine here where she is known as Lalithambigai. She sits with her right leg crossed at the knee on the Sri Chakra Simmasanam as a seat. This is known as the Manonmani form of the Goddess. Mehanathar is sometimes referred to as Mihara Aruneswarar or Muyarchinathar. The temple celebrates the grand victory of the Goddess over the evil Asuran Pandasuran. To achieve this, she took on a fierce form and came here to be pacified and regain her composed and benevolent usual self. The Lalitha Sahasranamam which is an ancient composition celebrating the Goddess by a thousand different names is said to have originated here. It is believed that the Lalitha Sahasranamam was imparted to Sage Agasthya by the Sage Hayagriva. In modern times, there is a story of an ardent devotee of Ambigai who was living in Bangalore. One day, in 1999, she had a dream of an idol of the Goddess which was missing an anklet. After a bit of research she found out the idol at this temple was missing an anklet. She made one out of gold and came here and was surprised that the likeness of the idol was identical to the one in her dream. When she presented the anklet to the priest, he told her that there was no room for the anklet to go around the idol's ankle. But miraculously, when he tried it, there indeed was a small passage for the anklet to go around and it fit perfectly. The temple is also associated with the Sun and his charioteer Arunan. Legends say that once the Sun was mean to Arunan and was smitten by a curse which made the Sun lose his light and glow. He regained his brilliance by doing penance to Lord Sivan here. The temple is so designed that the Sun's rays fall in the sanctum from the 21st to the 27th day of the month of Chithirai in April/May. It is believed that once, one of the wives of Sage Kashyapa wished for a child and prayed to the Lord and was blessed with a twin pregnancy, One of the infants was born prematurely and had a disability. His legs were deformed. The distraught mother and her son prayed to the Lord with much devotion at this temple and Lord Sivan made Arunan the charioteer of the Sun. It is an ancient Chola temple with later Vijayanagar and Nayakkan expansions. It is said that Rajendra Cholan I, Kundhavai and Sembiyan Mahadevi all contributed to its renovation. As a Paadal Petra Sthalam, it was already an established temple in the early 7th century. The temple has a 5 tier rajagopuram and is east facing. There is a 3-tier secondary gopuram. It is a compact temple at around 2 acres in area enclosed by granite walls in a rectangular form. The shrine of Lalithambigai is to the right as you enter through the rajagopuram. The sanctum of Mehanathar has a beautiful Gaja Prishta vimanam or Thoonganai Maadam with 3 kalasams. The Thoonganai Maadam is shaped like the back of an elephant and is commonly found in Chola era temples of the Thondai Nadu and is less common in the Chola heartland. This one is beautiful. The back koshta idol is a Lingothbavar and together with Brahma in the side koshtam and Perumal in the back koshtam of the Ilamkoyil, you can worship all three Gods of the Hindu trinity at the same time if you stand at the back of the temple. The Kshetra Puraneswarar idol, which is one of the koshtam idols, is very special. It is an idol of Lord Sivan and Parvati in standing posture with the Lord's hand resting on Uma's shoulder trying to pacify her. Depending on the angle from which you look at her, the Amman's face looks either peaceful or angry. The Ilamkoyil with Sakalabhuvaneswarar in the sanctum is adjacent to the sanctum of Mehanathar slightly to the north of it. There are two sthalavirutchams, the Mantharai and the Vilvam. The primary theertham is called Surya Pushkarani. The main festival is the Rathasapthami in the Tamil month of Thai in January and February. People worship Devi Lalithambigai here for prosperity in their lives, As in most temples where the Goddess is given preeminence, it is customary to worship at her shrine before proceeding to the moolasthanam. This is the 173rd Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 56th on the southern bank of the Kaveri River. Thirugnanasampanthar sang the pathigam for Meganathar and Thirunavukkarasar composed the pathigam for the Ilamkoyil. Thirugnanasampanthar about the Mehanathar: காயச் செவ்விக் காமற் காய்ந்து கங்கையைப் பாயப் படர்புன் சடையிற் பதித்த பரமேட்டி மாயச் சூர்அன் றறுத்தமைந்தன் தாதைதன் மீயச் சூரே தொழுது வினையை வீட்டுமே (He burned Manmathan with the fire from his third eye. He has the cascading River Ganga flowing through his matted hair. My supreme Lord is the father of Lord Murugan who slew the demon Surapadman. Those who worship the Lord here at Meeyachur will rid themselves of their karma and attain mukthi) Thevaram 2.062 Thirunavukkarasar on the Ilamkoyil: தோற்றுங் கோயிலுந் தோன்றிய கோயிலும் வேற்றுக் கோயில் பலவுள மீயச்சூர்க் கூற்றம் பாய்ந்த குளிர்புன் சடையாற் கேற்றங் கோயில்கண் டீரிளங் கோயிலே (There have been temples, there will be temples, and there are many other temples in Meeyachur but the one that is the most desirable one for my Lord who kicked Yaman and who has cooling matted hair on his scalp, is the Ilamkoyil) Thevaram 5.011 The temple is located 130 km or 3 hours east of Thiruchirapalli and the same distance and driving time south of Pondicherry. It is 32 km or an hour west of Tharangambadi and about the same distance east of Kumbakonam. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam. Sources: Dinamalar Temples - Mehanadhar Temple N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu: Thanjavur Page 251 Thevaram Shaivam.org Courtesy Google Maps

தர்பாரண்யேசுவரர் அல்லது சனீசுவரர் திரு க் கோயில், திருநள்ளாறு This Navagraham temple associated with Lord Saneeswarar or Saturn is very popular on the Navagraham pilgrimage circuit. People fear and respect Lord Sani's influence on their lives. The position and movement of Lord Saturn vis-à-vis one's Zodiac sign often brings about negative outcomes. People come here to nullify those negative effects. The temple is a Sivan temple and is an ancient Paadal Petra Sthalam. Lord Sivan presides here as Dharbaranyeswarar in a Sivalingam form. In ancient times, this area was a forest of Dharbai grass giving the Lord and the temple their names. There is a separate shrine for Lord Sani and it is customary to worship him before proceeding to the sanctum to worship Lord Sivan. The temple is also a Saptha Vidanga Sthalam. It is one of the seven temples that are the most important in the Thiagarajar worship tradition. Thiagarajar worship is the iconology that gives preeminence to Lord Sivan in the Somaskandar form. Iconographically the Somaskandar is the form where Lord Sivan is in a sitting posture with his left leg bent across at the knee, with Parvati sitting at his left and the child Murugan between them. The Thiagarajar is the Utchavar here. This temple is actually situated in the Union Territory of Puducherry or Pondicherry. What is not known to many outsiders, is that there are pockets of territory administered by the Union Territory that are away from the city of Pondicherry and within the Tamil Nadu borders. It is a result of the French colonial holdings in the area. Karaikkal is one such district in the Kaveri Delta. It is close to Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam. The area is rich in Tamil history and temples. Legends say that King Nalan of Nishadha, who was married to the beautiful princess Damayanthi, went through untold misery and loss due to the negative influence of Lord Sani. He worshipped Lord Saneeswaran here at this holy site and was eventually relieved of his bad fortune and regained his kingdom, wealth and family back. Thus the place came to be known as Nallar. Others believe that the place got its name because the Kaveri divides into many small rivers like Arasalaru, Noolaru and Vanchiyaru around here in the Kaveri Delta. The temple got its name because it is situated amidst these rivers. "Nal" means middle and "Aru" means river in Tamil. There are many stories of people getting relief from negative influences in their lives here, making a pilgrimage to this temple very popular. With an imposing 7 tier rajagopuram and containing numerous shrines ,it is an east-facing temple. It is about 2 acres in area and not very large. The presiding deity is Lord Sivan as a suyambulingam in the sanctum. He is known as Dharbaranyeswarar or Nallarar. The consort is Goddess Praneswari or Pranambigai and has her own shrine. To the left of the sanctum (to your right as you enter) is the shrine for Lord Saneeswarar. It is customary to worship there first. He is the gatekeeper. It is an east-facing shrine unlike at other temples where Lord Sani faces south. The resplendent idol of Saneeswarar has only two hands here as opposed to four usually. There are no shrines for the other Navagrahams here. The balipeedam, peculiarly is not in a straight line with other main elements, but is off to a side. In the prakaram, at the end of the gallery of the idols of the 63 Nayanmar, there is a small shrine for KIng Nalan. There is a set of 3 sculpted figures in the western inner prakaram, one of which is believed to be that of King Rajarajan I. The shrine for the Utsavar, Lord Thiagarajar as Somaskandar is in the southwestern corner of the prakaram. As a Paadal Petra Sthalam venerated in song by all three of the Moovar, Sampanthar, Appar and Suntharar, it was already a very revered site in the 7th and 8th centuries. Originally a Chola temple, it was greatly expanded during the Later Pandyan and Vijayanagar eras. The earliest existing structures appear to be from the 9th century. The oldest available inscription is from the reign of the Chola king Rajadhirajan I (1044-1052), son of Rajendran I. It mentions the donations made to this temple during Rajendran's rule. Other inscriptions have been lost, perhaps due to overzealous renovations by devout well-wishers over the centuries. The temple has many sacred water bodies or theerthams. The primary one is called the Nala Theertham. Bathing in it relieves people of their Sani Dosham it is believed. The Sthalaviruthcham or temple tree is the Dharbhai plant. The temple is thronged by devotees on Saturdays and during the shifting of Lord Sani's position in the Zodiac, called the Sani Peyarchi which occurs every 2.5 years. The main festival, the 18 day Brahmotsavam, begins on the day of the Uthirattathi Nakshatram, in the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May/June). The temple is administered by the Hindu Religious Institutions and Wakf Department of the Government of Puducherry. This is the 169th Paadal Petra Sthalam on the south side of the Kaveri River and the 52nd in the Chola Nadu. Thirugnanasampanthar dedicated 4 pathigams to this temple. Thirunavukkarasar or Appar and Sundaramoorthy Nayanar or Sundarar also have sung in its praise. In a famous incident in Madurai described in Tamil Saivite history and lore, Sampanthar was once confronted and ridiculed by Jain monks. In the ensuing debate he threw a copy of one of his Thirunallar pathigams into the fire while the Jains did the same with their holy scripture. The Jain manuscript apparently burned to ashes while Sampanthar's scroll remained untouched and green. It is called the Pachai Pathigam or the green pathigam. The Pandiyan king Nindraseer Nedumaran subsequently converted to Saivism from Jainism. போகமார்த்த பூண்முலையாள் தன்னோடும் பொன்னகலம் பாகமார்த்த பைங்கண்வெள் ளேற்றண்ணல் பரமேட்டி ஆகமார்த்த தோலுடையன் கோவண ஆடையின்மேல் நாகமார்த்த நம்பெருமான் மேயது நள்ளாறே (My Lord who has a blissful countenance, has Uma adorned with golden ornaments on her chest as part of him, rides the white bull with gentle eyes, is the essence of the Agamas, wears the (tiger's) skin as his loincloth, has the cobra as an ornament, He dwells here at Nallar) Thevaram 1.049 The temple is located 140 km or 3 hours east of Thiruchirapalli or the same distance south of Pondicherry. It is 33 km or 45 mins southeast of Mayiladuthurai, 17 km or 30 mins south of Tharangambadi and 25 km or 45 mins north of Nagapattinam. It is close to Karaikkal in the Union Territory of Puducherry or Pondicherry. We visited in August 2017 and June 2025. We were based in Tharangambadi and Kumbakonam. Sources: S.R Balasubrahmanyam, Middle Chola Temples, 1975. Chapter IV. Temples of Rajendra's Time Thevaram Shaivism.com Dinamalar Temples - Dharbaranyeswarar Temple - (Tamil) Courtesy Google Maps

சட்டநாதர் திருக்கோயில் அல்லது தோணியப்பர் திருக் கோயில், சீர்காழி This much-celebrated and well-known Sivan temple is one of the most revered temples in the Tamil Saivite tradition. It is ancient and beautiful. It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam and with a whopping 71 pathigams, it is one of the five most celebrated temples in the Thevaram. It is the birthplace or Avathara Sthalam of the boy-saint Thirugnanasampanthar. The Lord here and the temple have 12 different names. There are three manifestations of Lord Sivan in the sanctum. The temple and Lord here are commonly referred to as Thoniappar, Sattanathar and Brahmapureeswarar. In recent times it is sometimes called Sattainathar. In ancient times the temple was also referred to as Thirukazhumalam. The temple is closely associated with Thirugnanasampanthar. He was born here in this town in the early 7th century. When he was about 3 years old, his father Sivapatha Iruthayar took him to the temple and left him on the steps of the water tank and took a dip in the water. When he came out he noticed that the child's lips were white and he was holding a small bowl of milk. The infuriated father, upset that the child had consumed milk from a stranger, grabbed the dish and flung it at the temple walls. There is an indentation on the temple wall across from the Keni or water tank where people believe the Kinnam or bowl struck. Legend says that the child was crying when it lost sight of his father and Goddess Uma herself fed the child with her own milk to soothe him. The child turned out to be a prodigy and started singing Thevarams in praise of Lord Sivan from a young age, The more than 300 pathigams that he sang were later compiled into the first 3 Thirumurai of the Panniru Thirumurai, the Tamil Saivite canon. The sanctum of the temple has 3 levels. At the ground level Lord Brahmapureeswarar takes the form of a Sivalingam with Goddess Thirunilainayaki as his consort. The second level, accessible by a flight of steps, houses a massive sculpture of the Lord in the Umamaheswarar form with Goddess Periyanayaki by his side as his consort. He is known as Thoniappar or Periyanayakar. The idol is placed on a boat. "Thoni "means a boat in Tamil. Legend says that during one of the great deluges that engulfed the earth, Lord Sivan collected the 64 Arts and carried them in a raft or boat to save them from being lost. It is believed to have happened here. Thus he came to be known as Thoniappar, the Lord of the Boat. From the second level a set of stairs go up to the third level where Lord Sivan manifests in the Bhairavar form and is called Sattainathar or Sattanathar in ancient times. "Sattam" means law in Tamil. A grand view of the temple and surroundings can be experienced from the upper two levels. There is also a legend that Lord Sivan once wore Lord Vishnu as his Sattai or upper garment or shirt to quell his arrogance. The temple has spacious and long prakarams. Although the exact area is unclear, it is a moderately large temple. There are 22 waterbodies or theerthams associated with it. The main theertham is called Brahmatheertham. which is within the temple premises. There are two temple trees or sthalavirutchams, the Parijatham and the Pavalamalli. The temple is associated with Bhairavar worship and there is a Bhairavar shrine with the eight aspects of Bhairavar called the Ashta Bhairavar Sannidhi. There are three main sanctums within the complex. The sanctum sanctorum housing the 3 tiered Brahmapureeswarar, Thoniappar and Sattanathar shrines is central. In the northwest corner of the complex, is the shrine for the consort Thirunilainayaki. Between these two shrines, there is a shrine for Thirugnanasampanthar. There are lofty gopurams at the entrances in all four cardinal directions. It is an east facing temple. The Utchavar is Somaskandar. There are 47 sets of important inscriptions here. The inscriptions span 6 centuries from Vira Rajendra Cholan (1063 -1070) to the Vijayanagar king Venkatadevarayar (1598). They not only list the kings and benefactors who donated to the expansion of the temple at various times, but also give us an insight into the customs, practices and traditions of the people at that time. It is believed that in Thirugnasampanthar's period, the three parts of the main sanctum were in different areas of the temple. The current configuration started evolving in the 11th century onwards. Other kings mentioned in the inscriptions include, Kulothungan I (1070-1120), Kulothungan II (1136 -1150), Rajarajan II (1136 -1150), Rajadhirajan II (1163 -1175), Kulothungan III (1179-1216), Rajarajan III (1216-1246), Sundarapandiyan (1251-1270) and Krishnadevarayar (1509 -1529). The major festival or Brahmotsavam occurs in the Tamil month of Chithirai (April/May). The second day is known as the Thirumulaippal Festival and commemorates the event of Thirugnasampanthar's consumption of Parvathi's divine milk. There are several other festivals throughout the year. In olden times, it was customary for men to visit without an upper garment and bare chested and women did not wear flowers on their hair. These rules are not strictly adhered to anymore. The temple's day-to-day affairs are administered by the Saivite monastic institution, the Dharmapuram Adhinam. It is the 68th Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 14th sthalam on the north side of the Kaveri River. It has a large number pathigams in its praise. The Moovar, Thirugnanasampanthar, Thirunavukkarasar and Sundarar as well as Manickavasagar have praised this temple in song. It is said that Sundarar refused to set foot inside the temple because he thought that his feet would desecrate such a sacred site. He praised it in Thevaram from outside the town. Thirugnanasampanthar's first thevaram and the first thevaram of the entire Thirumurai was sung here: தோடுடைய செவியன் விடையேறியோர் தூவெண்மதி சூடிக் காடுடையசுட லைப்பொடிபூசி என் உள்ளங்கவர் கள்வன்         ஏடுடையமல ரான்முனைநாட்பணிந் தேத்தஅருள் செய்த          பீடுடையபிர மாபுரம்மேவிய பெம்மானிவ னன்றே.           (He wears a ring in his ear lobe, he rides a bull, he has the pure white crescent on his head, he owns the forest, he wears the ash of the cremation ground on his forehead, he is the thief who steals my heart, he has the book of the Vedas, he was worshipped by Lord Brahma in this esteemed Brahmapuram where he resides, he is my Lord) The temple is located 3 hours or 150 km northeast of Thiruchirapalli and 1.5 hours or 100 km south of Pondicherry. It is 1.5 hours or 60 km northeast of Kumbakonam and 1 hour 35 km north of Tharangambadi. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam. Sources: Dinamalar Temples - Sattainathar Temple, Sirkazhi (Tamil) N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu Pages 9-15 Shaivam.org  - Thevaram Courtesy Google Maps

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 Courtesy Google Maps

There are certain useful aspects to remember when planning an itinerary to visit temples in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Given the large number of temples, you need an approach to at least partially experience the most significant ones for you, the individual visitor. There are such a bewildering variety and number of temples, with many of them very unique in their own way, that without a systematic approach you will not be able to see the temples that might impress you the most. It is almost impossible to see all the temples in a single lifetime. So how does a person go about visiting these temples? There are indeed a large number of temples, many of them more than 1500 years old. They are spread out over the entire state of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry or Puducherry. Some regions have dense clusters of temples while the temples are sparse in other regions with great distances between them. The temples vary in their antiquity, history, religious/spiritual significance, architecture and art. Some temples are vast and grand structures that will take time to take in and experience while others are small but important in other ways. The location of the temple goer also matters. If you are a resident of Tamil Nadu or Pondicherry, there woud be many temples in you vicinity that are easily accessed. On the other hand. if you live elsewhere in India or abroad, your planning would be different Time When planning a trip, time is an important consideration. It has multiple aspects. Firstly, how much time you have allocated for the trip or if the temple visits are part of a wider trip, how much time you have set aside for temple visits, matters. Secondly, how much time you plan on spending at each temple will also determine the number of temples you can see, This will depend on the size of the temple as well as individual interests. Thirdly, travel time will also matter. The travel time between some temples are only minutes while others are hours apart. Timing The time when the temples are open is also a major consideration. Most active temples will open around 6 am and close around noon to reopen around 4 pm and will remain open till about 9 pm. But timing varies and it is wise to check ahead of time. Some temples will be closed on inauspicious days and times like eclipses etc. If you are interested in the outer structures, you should be there before sunset for adequate lighting. The sun sets quite quickly around 6 pm at all times of the year and it is very dark after that, especially in rural temples. Inactive ASI-controlled temples have different timings and do not generally close in the afternoon. Timing also depends on festivals and special days. People who like to experience the energy and activity around festivals might like to chose that time. Others who like to experience the temple in quiet contemplation might want to avoid those times. Interest Interest will determine which temples to cover and how much time you spend in each. If you are temple goer who is only interested in the divine and dharshan of the moorthy is most important, then the time you spend and how you spend it will be different from someone who is only interested in the art and architecture, Even among those who go only for spiritual reasons, some will engage in special archanais and rituals, some of which might be peculiar to that temple, while others will be satisfied with just having dharshan. Those who are interested in the architectural elements and art in the temple might want to circumambulate the various precincts and might spend more time. Some like us who are interested in all aspects of the temple have to plan accordingly Geography As we alluded to above, there are regions or towns where magnificent temples are literally steps away from each other, Kumbakonam, Kanchipuram and Trichy come to mind. There are other towns and villages too. In other regions you might have to travel a couple of hours to reach a remote temple. A good knowledge of the geography of the region as a whole and individual areas is useful but not absolutely essential. Google Maps and other tools are very reliable these days. A good driver is also an asset. Accessibility When we talk about accessibility, we consider location, transportation and lodging. The temples that are located in large cities and close to major highways or railways are certainly easier to get to. We prefer a motor vehicle to get to temples. It gives us the greatest flexibility and mobility. The roads and highways are getting progressively better. There are a variety of options including trains, buses and autos. Some temples are accessible by foot from public transportation. Lodgings vary and depend on budgets. There are plenty of options. If you go to our Guide section you will find temples arranged according to towns and cities, We picked these places due to the availability of accommodation that is suitable for the most discerning travellers, although some might be comparatively pricier. We hope that the above information will be useful for a person or group of people planning a trip. Do not try to overdo it. For most people, visiting 2-3 temples a day is ideal. If it is a large temple, it might take a whole morning or afternoon. If there is a small temple nearby, it can be combined. If you are visiting a number of smaller temples, the maximum recommended is 5 temples, 3 in the morning and 2 between 4 and 6 pm. But even this might be too overwhelming for a lot of people. Temple fatigue has to be avoided, You don't want to be "templed out". If you are the academic type you may want to take notes so that you are not confused at the end of the day. We will post this article in our Guide section where it will be easily accessible. We will update it there from time to time. We will also suggest various itineraries that people might find useful. The map below shows some of the temples we have visited and ones we have highlighted in our blog. There are many more. Courtesy Google Maps

நாகநாதசுவாமி திருக்கோயில், கீழப்பெரும்பள்ளம் 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

வைத்தியநாதசுவாமி திருக்கோயில், வைத்தீசுவரன்கோயில் This very popular Sivan temple in the Kaveri Delta is a Navagraha Sthalam associated with the planetary deity Lord Angakaran or Mars. It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam. It is believed that Lord Sivan here cures diseases of all kinds. That is why he is a Vaithyan or physician. The temple is also associated with the ancient practice of palm leaf astrology known as Naadi Jothidam. It is a fairly large and busy temple. Legends say that Lord Rama performed the last rites of Jatayu, the legendary vulture king of the Ramayana, here at this temple. The historic name for the village is Pullirukkuvelur (புள்ளிருக்குவேளூர்). "Pul" is a bird and stands for Jatayu. "Irukku" denotes the Rig Veda. "Vel" is for Lord Murugan who has a shrine here which is much revered. Lord Murugan received his Vel or spear here. Lord Mars who suffered from leprosy was cured here. Many legends are associated with this temple. Nadi Jothidam is a branch Indian astrology that believes that the destiny of every human being is predetermined and is found on ancient palm leaf manuscripts written in ancient times. It is believed that that the author was the sage Agasthyar. The practice is closely linked to this temple. They are written in the old Tamil script of Vateluthu. They were in the custody of the Thanjavur Maratha kings and were stored in the Saraswati Mahal Library in Thanjavur. The British confiscated them believing that they contained secrets of herbal treatments. Then they carelessly scattered them and most of them have ended up with families of astrologers in the Vaitheeswarankoil area. Some were lost. There are numerous astrologers here who will obtain a thumb print from the customer, their date of birth and a few basic questions and then find the palm leaf manuscript that pertains to them. They are believed to contain the past and the future of that individual. Often the details are very convincing. The practice also prescribes remedial rituals that negate any unfavourable predictions. At around 10 acres, this a moderately large temple. It has a 5 tier rajagopuram. It has 5 gopurams in a straight line. There are 3 spacious precincts or prakarams. The presiding deity in the sanctum sanctorum is Lord Sivan as a Suyambu Moorthy. The Lord faces west which is not common. The Shrine for Goddess Thaiyalnayaki faces south. It is located in the 2nd precinct There is also a special shrine for Lord Subramanyar in the first precinct which is much revered. The shrine for Lord Angakaran or Mars is in the 3rd precinct near the eastern gateway. The main theertham is a large tank called the Siddhamirtha Theertham. Taking a dip in it is believed to cure many diseases. There is another theertham called the Jatayu Kundam where Lord Rama is believed to have performed the crematory rites for Jatayu. The Sthala Virutcham is the Vembu or Margosa tree which has a number of medicinal properties. The temple is administered by the Saivite mutt or monastic institution, the Dharmapuram Adheenam under supervision of the HR and CE. The main festivals are the 10 day festival in January/ February and the 28 day Brahmotsavam in the Tamil month of Panguni (March/ April). The temple has been in existence from before the time of the Thevarams which were composed in the early 7th century. Chola, Pandya, Nayakkan and Thanjavur Maratha kings among others have patronised this temple. Many of the older inscriptions have been irretrievably lost due to thoughtless renovations over the years. The oldest inscription found so far is from the period of Kulothunga Cholan I (1070-1120). There are also inscriptions from the reigns of his son and successor Vikrama Cholan (1118-1135). Other inscriptions are from Veerapandian of the Later Pandyan dynasty, Achuthappa Nayakkar (1560-1614) of the Thanjavur Nayakkar and Thanjavur Maratha king Thuljaji (1763-1773). There are also inscriptions from many local chieftains and benefactors. This is the 70th Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 16th on the north bank of the Kaveri. Thirunavukkarasar and Thirugnasampanthar composed the pathigams for this temple. கள்ளார்ந்த பூங்கொன்றை மதமத்தங் கதிர்மதியம் உள்ளார்ந்த சடைமுடி எம் பெருமானார் உறையுமிடம் தள்ளாய சம்பாதி சடாயென்பார் தாமிருவர் புள்ளானார்க் கரையனிடம் புள்ளிருக்கு வேளூரே. (Our Lord lives here among the nectar laden Konrai and mind-altering datura flowers with the bright moon stuck in his matted locks. The weakened, divine vultures, Sampati and his brother Jatayu [from the Ramayana} worshipped Him, the king of all birds here at Pullirukkuvelur) Thevaram 2.43 Thirugnanasampanthar The temple is located 150 km or 2.5 hours east of Tiruchirapalli and 100 km or 2 hours south of Pondicherry. It is 50 km or 1.5 hours northeast of Kumbakonam and 36 km or 1 hour north of Tharangambadi. We visited in July 2010 and June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam. Sources: Dinamalar Temples - Vaidyanathar Temple N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu Page 25-28 Shaivam.org  - Thevaram Courtesy Google Maps

மகாலிங்கேசுவரர் திருக்கோயில், திருவிடைமருதூர் This massive, ancient, historic and beautiful Sivan temple near Kumbakonam is one of the most important Sivasthalams in the Tamil country. A Paadal Petra Sthalam, it is a temple well known to followers of Tamil Saivism but less so to the general public. Its importance stems from its great antiquity and its religious significance. It is one of the Panchakrosha Sthalams of Kumbakonam. It has been considered the central Sivan temple for all the Sivasthalams of the Chola region. The Maruthu is a tree that is called the Arjuna tree in Sanskrit. There are 3 ancient Sivan temples that are named after the Maruthu or Arjuna tree. In the south, around Thirunelvely is the ancient temple of Thirupudaimaruthur. In the north is the much celebrated Malikarjuna temple at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh. Idai means middle and Thiruvidaimaruthur is the one in the middle. It is believed that during the deluge of the Mahapralayam at the end of the last yugam, Lord Brahma had placed the seeds of future life in the Mahakumbam, filled it with Amirtham and left it on top of Mount Meru. Displaced by the deluge, the kumbam came to rest at Kumbakonam after floating around in the great oceans. 5 drops of the holy potion splashed and came to rest within 5 krosham distance of the centre of Kumbakonam and became 5 great temples. Thiruvidaimarudur is one of them. Once an ancient king, variously described as Varaguna Pandian or an unnamed Chola king, is believed to have accidentally killed someone, an old brahmin priest, when his chariot ran over the sleeping man. Gripped with remorse, the king became quite depressed and sought relief from the Lord himself who instructed him to go to Thiruvidaimaruthur. The ghost of the dead man, Brahmahathi could not enter the temple and stood guard outside the southern entrance. The Lord instructed the remorseful king to exit through one of the other entrances and thus he rid himself of the dosham of the killing. The ghost awaits at the southern entrance to this day and a bas-relief sculpture of it with dishevelled hair is seen there. It is customary for devotees to enter the temple through one entrance and exit through another to rid themselves of all negative influences. It is believed that Goddess Uma once convinced the Lord to come here to give Dharshan to some sages. To the surprise of Parvati, the Lord himself worshipped the deity here in a display of great humility. There is a story that the Thanjavur Maratha king Pratap Singh Bhonsle (1739-1763), once fell in love with a local damsel, Ammuniammal He prayed to the Lord here and at the end of a successful courtship, the happy couple installed a statue of a woman holding a lamp, the Paavai Vilakku, to show their gratitude. It is still there today. The great Saivite ascetic poet Pattinathar taught the true meaning of renunciation to his disciple Badragiriyar here. There are many other stories and legends too numerous to list. This vast temple has an area of about 22 acres. It is strikingly huge when you enter. The Lord manifests in the sanctum as the Mahalingam or great lingam. It is one of the largest Sivalingams in the Tamil country. The temple has three prakarams the outer ones are spacious and long. The innermost prakaram is called the Pranava Prakaram and its walls are adorned with colourful and exquisite sculptural art from the Nayakkan era. The middle prakaram is known as Kodumudi Prakaram and the outermost prakaram is the Asvamedha Prakaram. Doing multiple circumambulations of this prakaram is considered very pious. There are 4 rajagopurams in all four cardinal directions. The main eastern rajagopuram has 5 tiers. It is 668 feet in height. The western rajagopuram has 7 tiers. The Nandi is massive, imposing and beautiful. Everything about this temple is big. The temple has an east-west orientation and is in rectangular in shape. The Lord faces east. The shrine for the the consort, Goddess Brahatsundaragujambikai is an impressive, large subtemple just to the right of the moolavar. There is a separate shrine for the goddess as Devi Mookambikai, which curiously has a Nagara type vimanam which is usually only seen in northern states of India. It was likely built during the Maratha period. There are numerous shrines within the temple complex. There is a library that contains invaluable ancient Tamil Saivite palm leaf manuscripts. It is called the Saiva Siddhanta Library. The sthalavirutcham is the Marudhamaram. There are 32 theerthams associated with this temple including the large Karunyamitra Theertham and the Kaveri River itself. The main festival coincides with Thaipoosam and is a grand 10 day festival. As a Paadal Petra Sthalam, the temple has ancient origins, It was already a great temple in the 7th century. The earliest of the existing masonry dates back to the Cholas in the 9th century. There 159 sets of inscriptions. They are from Chola, Hoysala, Vijayanagar and Nayakkar dynasties. One particular set of inscriptions describe the great contributions of Kulothunga Chola I (1070-1122). The inscription is dated to the 172nd day of the 26th year of his reign. An inscription from the 7th regnal year of Vikrama Cholan (1118-35) describes the practices, processions, dances and traditions of the festivals at the temple. One inscriptions describes the theatre inside the temple that was used to enact plays. In the 16th century, Govinda Dikshitar, a minister in the Thanjavur Nayakkan court, built the beautiful Pushyamantapa halls. In the 18th century, the Thanjavur Marathas made many contributions. It is the 147th Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 30th on the south bank of the Kaveri River in Chola Naadu. It has been celebrated in the Thevaram by all three of the Moovar. Only 44 temples have that distinction. ஓடே கலன்; உண்பதும் ஊர் இடு பிச்சை காடே இடம் ஆவது; கல்லால் நிழல் கீழ் வாடா முலை மங்கையும் தானும் மகிழ்ந்து, ஈடா உறைகின்ற இடை மருது ஈதோ. . (The skull is his vessel. He eats the alms that the village gives him. The cremation ground is his favourite dwelling under the great banyan tree. But here he lives happily with goddess Uma. Is this that Idaimaruthur?) Thevaram 1.032. Thirugnanasampanthar - Thirukadaikaappu The temple belongs to the HR and CE department of the Tamil Nadu State Government like all other revenue generating temples in the state. But the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam plays an active role in the administration of the temple. The maintenance is wanting for such an important site. Areas of the premises are inaccessible to the general public due to lack of maintenance. Lack of funds is the obvious reason. A sorry state of affairs. The temple is located about 10 km or 20 minutes east of Kumbakonam. It is about 100 km or 2 hours east of Thiruchirapalli and 30 km or 3 hours south of Pondicherry. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam. Sources: TN Temples Project - Mahalingeswarar, Thiruvidaimarudur, Thanjavur Dinamalar Temples - Mahalingam Temple, Thiruvidaimaruthur N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu Page 162-165 Shaivam.org - Thevaram Sivaya.org - Thevaram with meaning (Tamil) Courtesy Google Maps Courtesy Google Maps

நாகநாதசுவாமி திருக்கோயில், திருநாகேசுவரம் Another Navagraham Sthalam, this Sivan temple is associated with Lord Raahu. Raahu is the Ascending or Northern Lunar Node, the point where the moon's orbit intersects the solar ecliptic on its northern arc. Like the Southern Lunar Node, it is linked to the occurrence of eclipses. In ancient Hindu mythology an eclipse was described as a serpent swallowing the Moon or the Sun. As such these two points in space are associated with the divine serpents Raahu and Kethu respectively. Naagam means cobra and Lord Sivan, the presiding deity, is known as Naganathaswamy. It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam. Legends abound. The eight holy serpents Vasuki, Ananthan, Padman, Mahapadman, Thathchakan, Karkodakan, Sankapalan. Kulikan as well as Adhiseshan are believed to have worshipped Lord Sivan here. It is a temple for people to relieve themselves of Raahu dosham. When the world came to an end in the great deluge of the Maha Pralayam at the end of the last yugam, and life on earth was in danger of extinction, Lord Brahma placed the seeds of future resurgence of life in the next yuga in a clay pot or Kumbham (Holy Pot) and added Amirtham the holy elixir of immortality. He then placed the Kumbham on top of Mount Meru. During the pralayam the kumbam floated around in the great oceans and came to rest at Kumbakonam. During that event the Amirtham splashed and 5 drops scattered around a five krosham distance of the centre of Kumbakonam or Kudanthai. A krosham is an ancient Indian unit of measurement of distance and is roughly around 1.3 miles or 2.08 kms. These five spots became the sites of five ancient temples around Kumbakonam known as the Pancha Krosha Sthalams of Kumbakonam. They are Thirunageswaram. Thiruvidaimaruthur, Darasuram, Swamimalai and Koranattu Karuppur. They are within 5 krosham distance in radius from the centre of Kumbakonam. Other sacred cities such as Ujjain and Pazhayarai also have Pancha Krosha Sthalams. As a Paadal Petra Sthalam, it must have existed in some form in the early 7th century. In the mid 10th century, the deeply Saivite king Gandaraditya Cholan (CE 950 -957), son of Paranthakan I and husband of Sembiyan Mahadevi, converted this temple into a granite structure. An inscription from Gandaradiyan's time describes the renovation. There are 16 sets of inscriptions from the time of Gandaradiya Cholan, Rajarajan and Rajendran I. Sekkizhar, the author of the Periyapuranam, the hagiography of the Saivite saints, is associated with this temple. He was the prime minister of Kulothunga II and was a great Sivan devotee. He renovated this temple in the 12th century and in honour of this there are sculptures in this temple of him, his mother and brother. In the 17th century, Govinda Dikshitar an official in the Nayakkar court, did renovations at this temple and built a mandapam. An unknown king or chieftain by the name Sambumali is credited with the construction of the sacred tank, the Surya Pushkarani or Soola Theertham here. Arimalazham Annamalai Chettiar has carried out extensive renovations in 1929. At 15 acres in area, it was a fairly large temple. Today, it measure 800 feet east-west and 630 feet north-south for an area of 12 acres due to modern day encroachments. Still a large temple. It is an east-facing temple. It has a 5 tier rajagopuram and the secondary rajagopuram has 4 tiers. There are entrances in all four directions with gopurams. Altogether there are 6 gopurams. There are three enclosed prakarams or circumambulatory precincts. The Lord manifests in the sanctum as a Sivalingam. The shrine for Lord Raahu is at the northeastern corner of the second precinct. There are two Amman Sannithis, the Piraiyaninuthalumai Sannithi and the Girigujambikai Sannithi. The Sthala Virutcham is the Shenbaga Tree. The Theertham is the Soola or Surya Theertham. The main festival or Brahmotsavam is held for 10 days in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November/December), when the processional deity takes to the streets in a chariot. The temple is administered by the HR and CE. This is the 146th Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 29th on the southern bank of the Kaveri River. It has the special distinction of being celebrated in the Thevaram by all three of the Moovar, Sampanthar, Appar and Sundarar. One of only 44 temples with that recognition. In Sundarar's words: பிறையணி வாணுதலாள் உமையாளவள் பேழ்கணிக்க நிறையணி நெஞ்சனுங்க நீலமால்விடம் உண்டதென்னே குறையணி குல்லைமுல்லை அளைந்துகுளிர் மாதவிமேல் சிறையணி வண்டுகள்சேர் திருநாகேச் சரத்தானே.  (Uma the Goddess who wears the crescent on her beautiful forehead was frightened and her heart froze when you drank the blue poison. Why O Lord? You, who resides in the forest of Thirunageswaram where bees buzz around beautiful flowering creepers like the Kullai, Mullai and the Madhavi that flutter in the cool breeze) It is very important that we do not confuse this temple with the nearby Nageswarar temple within the the town of Kumbakonam. It is easy to do so. That is also a Paadal Petra Sthalam of great antiquity and a marvel of early Chola architecture. That temple was built by Adityan I. More on it in a later post in the coming months.. This temple is located on the eastern outskirts of Kumbakonam, about 5 km from its centre. It is about 100 km or 1.5 hours east of Thiruchirapalli. It is about 150 km or 2.5 hours south of Pondicherry. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam. Sources: N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu Page 177-178 Shaivam.org - Thevaram Courtesy Google Maps Courtesy Google Maps

அக்னீசுவரர் திருக்கோயில், கஞ்சனூர் Identified with the Navagraham deity Lord Sukkiran or Venus, this temple is a popular pilgrimage site as it is one of the nine Navagraham temples. There is no special or separate shrine for Lord Sukkiran, but Lord Sivan the presiding deity himself manifests as Lord Venus. It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam celebrated in the Thevaram. It is located on the north bank of the Kaveri near Kumbakonam. Kanjan is another name for Lord Venus and thus this village is known as Kanjanur. Given the great antiquity of the temple, there are many legends centred around it. It is said that Lord Sivan blessed Lord Vishnu when he came here in his Vamana Avatharam after being cursed by the Asura Guru Shukracharya. Lord Agni the God of Fire, once got rid of an affliction here. Hence the name Agniswarar for the Lord here. The temple is also associated with the legend of Haradattar. Haradattar was a Sivan devotee who was born into a staunchly Vaishnavite family with the birth name Sudharshanar, and embraced Lord Sivan against his family's wishes. Lord Sivan himself is believed to have given Haradattar dharshan in the form of Dakshinamurthy. The Dakshinamurthy idol in this temple has a figure representing Haradattar at his feet in addition to the traditional Muyalagan under his right foot. Manakanchara Nayanar (மானக்கஞ்சாற நாயனார்), Chola general and one of the 63 Saivite saints was born here. His son-in-law and fellow Chola commander turned saint, Eyarkon Kalikkama Nayanar (ஏயர்கோன் கலிக்காம நாயனார்), was also closely associated with this temple. Once an ardent devotee of Lord Sivan inadvertently killed a calf and was extremely remorseful. He approached Haradattar who advised him to feed a bundle of grass to the Nandhi here, The stone Nandhi is believed to have eaten the grass. Hence the Nandhi here has been known as Pullunda Nandhi (the Nandhi that ate grass) ever since. There are many other stories including the one about Suraikai Bakthar. Suraikai (சுரைக்காய்) is bottle gourd in Tamil. Suraikai Bakthar cultivated bottle gourd for a living and distributed most of it to the poor. One day he had only one gourd left which he was saving for its seeds. Then Lord Sivan appeared in the guise of a poor beggar and asked for food. The benevolent farmer did not have the heart to say no. He cut the last gourd in half and fed the beggar. There is a special shrine here for him. It is believed that Lord Sukkiran worshipped Lord Sivan here. The sage Parasarar was given the vision of the cosmic dance here and was cured of insanity. The temple was patronised by Medieval Chola kings who built the earliest existent granite structures. It was extensively renovated by kings of the Vijayanagar Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Nayakkar have also made significant contributions.There are inscriptions from the times of Vikrama Cholan, Kulothunga Cholan I, Veera Rajendra Cholan and Krishnadevaraya, the Vijayanagar emperor. It has a 5 tiered rajagopuram and two prakarams. The sivalingam here absorbs the oil poured on it during abhishekam. It is a self manifested Suyambulingam. The temple and the deity face east but the rajagopuram faces south. The arthamandapam has a peculiar architecture and is called the Vavval Nethi (bat's forehead) mandapam. The sthala virutcham is the Purasu or Pala tree, a subspecies of the Jack tree. The main theerthams are the Agni Theertham and Parasara Theertham tanks. The major festivals are the Maasi Magam, Aadi Pooram as well as the Haradattar Festival in January. It is a Paadal Petra sthalam and one of the seven Saptha Sthana Sthalams of Kanjanur. This is the 90th Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 36th on the northern bank of the Kaveri. Thirunavukkarasar or Appar rendered the pathigam or decad during his visit here in the early 7th century. He stopped here on his way to Thirukodikkaa from Thirumanancheri. He sings thus: மூவிலைநற் சூலம்வல னேந்தி னானை மூன்றுசுடர்க் கண்ணானை மூர்த்தி தன்னை நாவலனை நரைவிடையொன் றேறு வானை நால்வேத மாறங்க மாயி னானை ஆவினிலைந் துகந்தானை அமரர் கோவைஅயன்றிருமா லானானை அனலோன் போற்றுங் காவலனைக் கஞ்சனூ ராண்ட கோவைக் கற்பகத்தைக் கண்ணாரக் கண்டுய்ந் தேனே (He who holds a three-leaved trident in His right hand; He is triple-eyed; He is the Moorthi; He is the Poet; He rides a white Bull; He is the four Vedas and the six Angas; He is the master of the five actions. He is the king of the Devar. He is praised by Brahma, Vishnu and Agni, the Lord of Fire. He is our protector. He is benevolent like the karpagam tree. He is the king of Kanjanur. I saw him to my eyes' content and felt deeply blessed) The temple belongs to the HR and CE but the Madurai Thirugnana Sambantha Swamigal Adheenam retains a direct role in its day to day administration. The maintenance can be better. It is located about 111km or 2 hours east of Thiruchirapalli and 130 km or 3 hours south of Pondicherry. It is close to Kumbakonam and just 18 km or 30 minutes east of it. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam. Sources: Dinamalar Temples - Agneeswarar Kanjanur (Tamil) N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu Page 160 Shaivam.org -Thevaram Courtesy Google Maps

சூரியனார் திருக்கோயில், ஆடுதுறை, கும்பகோணம் Called the Sivasuriya Peruman Koil, this popular temple is one of the Navagraham temples. The Navagrahams are nine celestial bodies or points in space celebrated in Hindu or Sanatana belief systems. They are commonly referred to as the nine planets which is not accurate. A trip to all Navagraham temples is a common pilgrimage for many. This temple is for the Sun God on whose bounty all life on planet earth exists. There are only a few temples in India dedicated to the Sun, like the Sun Temple at Konarak, Odisha or the the one in Modhera, Gujarat. Here in the Tamil country, this small temple also honours the Sun. Although there is a shrine for the Sun in many Saivite temples, a dedicated temple is rare. Here, images of Lord Sun and his consorts Usha Devi and Pratyusha Devi, grace the sanctum instead of Lord Sivan. It is the only temple of the nine Navagraham temples where Lord Sivan is not the presiding deity. There are separate shrines for all the other eight Navagrahams here, which is also unique. Legend says that the Navagraham deities were rid of a curse by Lord Sivan and were given permission to grant boons to devotees independently here at this holy site. The antiquity of the temple is unclear. Sangam literature mentions a Sun Temple at Uchikizhan Kottam in Poompuhar which was destroyed by a massive tsunami. So the worship of the Sun and building temples to it are ancient practices. The Suriyanar Koil is the only one that has survived. The earliest structures here are from the time of Kulothunga Cholan I (1066-1118). An inscription from that time refers to the temple as Kulothunga Chola Marthandalaya. It is said that his interest in the temple was influenced by his allies, the Gahadavala dynasty of Kanauj who were ardent worshippers of the Sun. The temple was also extensively renovated by the Vijayanagar kings. There is an inscription from the time of the Vijayanagar emperor Krishnadevaraya, mentioning important endowments. The temple faces west. It has a three tiered rajagopuram and is enclosed by a granite walled rectangular compound. At 2 acres in area, it is a relatively small temple. There is a tank or theertham to the left or north as you enter. It is called the Suyra Theertham. The Kol Theertha Vinayagar shrine here is very auspicious. The vimanam is designed like a chariot, symbolizing the belief that Lord Sun traverses the cosmos on a chariot drawn by seven horses. There are statuettes of horses on the vimanam. The shrine for Lord Guru is right opposite the main sanctum and is said to cool down the heat emanating from Lord Surya. The other seven Navagraham shrines are spread around the compound, all facing Suryanar. The temple has unique and elaborate worship rituals. It is customary to visit the nearby Paadal Petra Sthalam at Thirumangalakudi before visiting here. The order of worship is peculiar. Most devotees will turn left or northwards as you enter the through the rajagopuram. They will either dip in the theertham or sprinkle water from it on their heads before turning southwards to worship Lord Kol Theertha Vinayagar. They then will visit the Sabanayagar mandapam to see the Utsava moorthy before proceeding to the main mandapam to worship Lord Sivan as Kasi Viswanathar. Subsequently, they will enter the mahamandapam to pay homage to Lord Guru before worshipping Suryanar in the sanctum sanctorum. They then will go on to worship the other Navagraham deities in a particular order. The circumambulation is done nine times. The sthala virutcham is the Vellerukku tree. The theertham is Surya Theertham. The major festival is the Rathasapthami which is a ten day festival in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February) which marks the beginning of the Utharayanam. It symbolizes the beginning of the Sun God's journey north. The temple is administered by the HR and CE. Photography was difficult given the ongoing renovations. There was a lot of scaffolding covering the major elements. The renovations seem tacky compared to the elegant ancient core of the temple, a common result of renovations. The temple is located about 100 km or 2 hours east of Thiruchirapalli, 55 km or 1 hour east of Thanjavur and close to Kumbakonam. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Kumbakonam. Sources: Dinamalar Temples TempleNet-Surynaar Koil N. Chockalingam 1971, Census of India 1961. Volume IX. Part XI -D. Temples of Tamil Nadu Page 158. Courtesy Google Maps