Tour Members - Karthik and family
Dates - 21, 22 and 23 September 2018
Trip - Chennai - Samayapuram - Anbil - Thanjavur - Thiruvaiyaru - Thanjavur - Thittai - Patteswaram - Kumbakonam - Chennai
The plan was to cover as much as temples of my family's interest, Divya desams and ancient Shiva temples. We did happen to cover quite a bit with nice breaks in afternoons.
Guidance - Google maps has got code for the temples - like NCN002, SCN023 and etc. It would be a good homework to do and get the list of codes before you set on a trip like this. This saves time as the spelling and name of the temples might not match most of the times; but, codes do. Later down the days, I am planning to share all the codes as a separate blog soon.
Like my other blogs, I am not going to be too detailed here; I shall name the temple with special mention of history, if applicable and details of distance, route, parking, timing and related.
Day-1
We started from Chennai by 6:30 AM on a Friday and stopped by Hotel Oorvasi on the highway after Tindivanam. The restaurant is self service even for water. The quantity and quality of food served was pretty good. One tiffen item and the tummy was absolutely full; be it the pongal or dosai. Went on with the drive and reached Samayapuram by 10:45 AM.
Samayapuram Mariamman Temple
Samayapuram Mariamman Temple is located around 17 kms before Trichy from Chennai; 1 km from the GST Highway. The main deity is Mariamman, made of sand and clay. It is a very popular belief amongst Tamilians that a visit to this temple shall bring in good fortune. The Goddess has enormous powers to cure diseases. The devotees buy small metallic replicas of human body parts, made with silver or steel, and deposit in the donation box as a ritual. The temple is open from 5.30 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. There are lot of parking space available with a fee of Rs.30 at the entrance.
It took around 45 minutes for us to complete the paid dharshan (Rs.30 and Rs.100 are available) and back on the highway.
NCN058 - Thiru Mandurai Shiva Temple, Mandurai
This temple is around 20 minutes drive from Samayapuram on the north bank of Cauvery.
Deity : Amravaneswarar (Lord Shiva), Goddess Balambigai
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 5:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles
Route : Decent roads by the Cauvery river leading to Grand Anaicut. Can be located by google maps.
History : Place where Surya Bhaghavan prayed to Lord Shiva to get along with his wife. The temple is known as Parikara sthalam for Sun.
Anbil is around 20 mins drive from Mandurai. There are 2 temples to see here - one Shiva temple and one Divya desam. Anbil is around 30 kms from Trichy and 7 kms from Lalgudi.
NCN057 - Sathyavakeeswarar, Anbil
Deity : Sathyavakeeswarar (Lord Shiva)
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple
Route : Decent roads by the Kollidam river banks. Can be located by google maps close to location, follow the main roads instead of narrow streets in Anbil.
History : This temple has a grand gopuram - 5-tier. Presiding deity is known as Sathyavakeeswarar or Brahmapureeswarar. The temple has ancient inscriptions dating the temple back to 1000+ years back.
Deity : Sundararaja Perumal or Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple
Route : Decent roads by the Kollidam river banks. Can be located by google maps close to location, temple is on the main road; easy to locate.
History : Lord Vishnu is in reclining position. The temple is where Maduka Mamuni, cursed to be a frog, redeemed to be back as human.
By the time, we completed the above temples, it was 12:30 and most of the temples enroute would be closing. We decided to drive to Thanjavur; where we had booked our rooms in Hotel Gnanam. We reached the hotel by 1:45 PM through Poondi and Thiruvaiyaru. We saw the Poondi matha koil from outside and moved on to Thanjavur. River Cauvery and Kollidam had water stagnated by check dams in between; but mostly the river was a desert.
Hotel Gnanam - the check-in was quick and we got spacious rooms. The hotel is quite posh for the city, has got lift, big rooms, nice mattress, clean bathrooms and toiletries. Overall, the rooms are very satisfactory. The restaurant is also quite good. We had meals, sambar rice, curd rice and Biryani. All items were quite good. No complaints place!
Evening, we decided to see few temples around Thiruvayaru and couple of popular temples in Thanjavur.
Punnainallur Mariamman Temple
Deity : Mariamman Temple
About : This temple is a popular Mariamman temple
Timing : 6.00 AM - 8.30 PM
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple and more space on the highway
Route : The temple is located around 7 kms from Thanjavur on the NH to Thiruvarur.
History : The temple was built by Maharashtra king Venkoji Maharaja Chatrapati of Tanjore as he spotted the idol in the jungle based on his dream. The temple is normally crowded on special occasions and weekends. Rest of the time, the temple shall be sparsely crowded and one gets to have dharshan in 10-15 minutes and come out. Free dharshan and Rs.10 dharshan are available.
Kandiyur - Sri Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple
Deity : Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 7:30 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple on the main road
Route : The temple is located in outskirts of Thanjavur enroute to Thiruvayaru - 10 kms from Thanjavur.
History : This temple is for Lord Vishnu relieving the sin of Lord Shiva for chopping off one of the five heads of Lord Brahma. Shiva chopped one of the heads of Brahma as Parvti started praying the Brahma thinking he to be the supreme power. The chopped head got stuck to Shiva's hand and this is the place where it got detached and sins cleansed.
NCN051 - Arulmigu Aiyarappar Thirukovil
Deity : Aiyarappan (Lord Shiva) / Panchanadeeswara Swamy (5 rivers)
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 11:00 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lots of parking area at the temple
Route : The temple is located in the town of Thiruvayaru. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : This temple is very old and called Dakshina Kailash. The presiding deity is named after 5 rivers at Thiruvayaru; 2 shrines - Uttara Kailasham and Dhakshina Kailasham are present in the temple. Shiva Linga is Swyambu in this temple and circumambulation is not allowed representing the Jadaa-mudi of Shiva. The temple hosts beautiful paintings and sculptures. The temple is quite big and one of the biggest temples in Tamilnadu.
NCN050 - Thirupazhanam
Deity : Apathsahayar / Abathsahayeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 11:00 AM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Enough parking area for few cars.
Route : The temple is located 3 kms east of Tiruvaiyaru after crossing Thingalur village road cut. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : An orphaned kid stayed in the temple and had a dream of Yama taking his life in few days. The kid prayed to Lord Shiva to save him and Shiva saved him from Yama. Also, it is aid that Amirtham was saved and kept in this location by Kowshikar. Kowshikar made a Linga out of Amirtham and that is worshiped as main deity in this temple. The temple is very artistic and hosts beautiful sculptures.
NCN052 - Thillaisthanam Shiva Temple (Thiruneythanam)
Deity : Neyyadiappar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 10 AM to 11:00 AM, 5 PM to 7 PM.
Parking : Enough parking area for few cars.
Route : The temple is located 2 kms west of Tiruvaiyaru. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : Lingam is Swyambu in this temple. Kamadhenu (holy cow) was pouring milk at a random location and it changed to ghee because of heat. On checking the location, the Lingam was found and a temple raised. Ghee abhishekam is very prominent in this temple.
Brahadeeswara Temple
Deity : Brahadeeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM–12:30 PM; 4 PM – 8:30 PM
Parking : Huge paid parking area opposite to the temple
Route : The temple is located in heart of Thanjavur. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : Nothing much needs to be elaborated for this temple, as this is one of the most important temples in India. This temple hosts one of the biggest Lingam in main sanctum and well known for the spell bounding architecture. The temple hosts amazing sculptures, paintings and inscriptions. One needs only few minutes to have a good dharshan; but few hours to appreciate the art the temple presents.
By the time we came out of Brihadeeswarar temple, it was 8:30 PM and most of the other temples would have closed. We reached back to Hotel Gnanam, had dinner, which was quite good and went to bed.
Day-2
Day-2 was planned for temples enroute to Kumbakonam from Thanjavur. We started the day by 6:30 after checking out from Hotel Gnanam. I did some homework to plot the temples we want to visit on the lines of Day-1 towards Kumbakonam in the first half and then the temples in Kumbakonam by second half of the day.
Bangaru Kamakshi
Deity : Kamakshi Amman
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM; 4 PM to 9 PM.
Parking : Enough parking area for few cars.
Route : The temple is located on the Mela masi street in Thanjavur. It is quite congested place for car to be parked. Luckily, we went early in the morning and the road was deserted.
History : Goddess Kamakshi Idol is made of gold in this temple. The idol was actually at Kancheepuram and shifted by Sankaracharya to Thanjavur, when he shifted his base to protect it from the Mughal invasions.
There are 4 temples next to next in 3 kms from Thanjavur on the Kumbakonam highway. One Shiva temple and 3 Divya Desam temples.
Deity : Thanjapureeswarar / Kuberapureeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 padal patra sthalams
Timing : 6 AM to 1:00 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple
Route : 3 kms from Thanjavur towards Kumbakonam highway (on the highway)
History : The temple faces westwards unlike most of the temples facing east. This temple was built before Brahadeswara temple. It is believed that Brahadeswara temple was built only after worshipping this God. It is also said that Kuberan got all his wealth after worshipping Lord Shiva here.
Thanjai Mamanikoil Narasimha Perumal Temple
Deity : Narashimha Perumal / Veera Narashimhar
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 7:30 PM.
Parking : Available for around 20 vehicles by the temple - paid parking
Route : 3 kms from Thanjavur towards Kumbakonam highway (on the highway). 100m from the above temple.
History : This is one of the 3 temples forming 1 Divya Desam. There were 3 asuras - Thanjakan, Gajamukhan and Dandhakan. Lord Vishnu destroyed these 3 in different avatars - Vishnu, Narasimha and Varaha respectively. These 3 temples are next to each other. This is one of them. The Lord is in Narashimha avatar in sitting posture.
Thanjai Manikundra Perumal Koil
Deity : Manikundra Perumal
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Available for 1-2 vehicles by the temple
Route : 3.5 kms from Thanjavur towards Kumbakonam highway (on the highway). 200m from the above temple.
History : This is one of the 3 temples forming 1 Divya Desam. There were 3 asuras - Thanjakan, Gajamukhan and Dandhakan. Lord Vishnu destroyed these 3 in different avatars - Vishnu, Narasimha and Varaha respectively. These 3 temples are next to each other. This is one of them. The Lord is in sitting posture.
Thanjai Neelamega Perumal Temple
Deity : Neelamega Perumal
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple
Route : 3.75 kms from Thanjavur towards Kumbakonam highway (on the highway). 200m from the above temple.
History : This is one of the 3 temples forming 1 Divya Desam. There were 3 asuras - Thanjakan, Gajamukhan and Dandhakan. Lord Vishnu destroyed these 3 in different avatars - Vishnu, Narasimha and Varaha respectively. These 3 temples are next to each other. This is one of them. The Lord is in sitting posture.
SCN015 - Vasisteshwaran Temple, Thittai
Deity : Vasisteshwaran / Swayambootheswarar
About : This is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. This is also a Guru parikara Sthalam.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Paid parking for lot of cars in big ground and by the temple available. No worries.
Route : The temple is located 11 kms from Thanjavur, enroute to Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : Thittu means small island. During pralayam cross the world, Brahma & Vishnu worshipped the Lord Shiva for protection. After looking for a safe place, they found Thittai, which did not drown in during Pralayam. There was a Shiva Lingam in the location and became a temple. A unique feature of this temple is a drop of water falls on the Lingam (Main Deity) exactly every twenty four minutes (1 Naazhigai) from the roof. But for a small hole, there is no source of water or anything, on the Vimana of the main deity. This is the only place where you can see Guru Bhagavan who is the Raja Guru, in standing posture with 4 hands holding his weapons and a book.
We started looking for eateries for breakfast, and could not locate even a small eatery. Our next planned stop was at Avoor. We then went through Thirukarukavur. We stopped at a small eatery here, idlies and dosas - were ok.
SCN021-Pasupatheeswarar Temple, Avoor
Deity : Pasupatheeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. This is also Pancha Bairava Sannidhi - performing parikaram for pithru (ancestors).
Timing : 6:30 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 21 kms from Thirrai and 33 kms from Thanjavur, enroute to Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps. This is by the main road - less than 200m from the highway.
History : This temple is a mounted temple with few stairs to climb. King Dasaratha performed pooja here, identified the pancha bhairavas and installed them.
SCN022-Thirusakthimuttam Temple, Patteeswaram
Deity : Sakthivanesvarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. This temple is opposite to the famous Patteswaram Durga Devi temple.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 4 kms from Avoor and 8 kms before Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : Goddess Parvati performed penance for Lord Shiva and he tested her patience. Lord Shiva appeared as a ball of fire; and knowing this, the Goddess hugged the fire.
SCN023 - Thenupuriswarar Temple, Patteeswaram
Deity : Thenupuriswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. This temple is behind the sanctum of the famous Patteswaram Durga Devi.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 4 kms from Avoor and 8 kms before Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The temple has tall gopuram and quite big in size. The Nandi sanctum shall be out of alignment with Lord Shiva - the reason being, this is the place where Thirugnana Sambandar visited Patteswaram in scorching heat and the Lord ordered the devotees to carry Muthu Panthal for him. Notwithstanding for the Sambandar to arrive the temple, Shiva ordered Nandi to move and make way to see him arriving at the temple. This can be seen by the way Nandi being out of alignment in the temple. The temple also hosts beautiful paintings and sculptures.
Airavateswarar Temple, Darasuram
Deity : Airavateswarar
About : The temple - Darasuram is greatly known for the amazing and intrinsic sculptures. This is an ASI site and one of the UNESCO world heritage sites.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 4 kms from Avoor and 8 kms before Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The temple was built by Rajaraja Cholan II. The temple hosts a big Lingam which is said to have been worshipped by the grand White Elephant called Airavatham, elephant of Indra. The stone temple is built like a chariot with grand sculptures of horses, decorated wheels and much more. The gardens are maintained very well in this temple. The temple is famous for the stone sculpted windows; which is a gem of the sculptures in the temple.
It was pretty hot by noon and we are quite tired after visiting so many temples since early in the morning. We had booked Hotel Poppys SET Residency in Kumbakonam. This hotel is behind (10 mins walk) from Mahamaham tank. The hotel has huge open parking adjacent to the hotel building. The rooms are quite big, spacious and clean. The check-in was smooth. The hotel has a restaurant, but, we did not try it. Instead we had food at Hotel Balaji Bhavan, 300m from this hotel.
We had south Indian meals at Balaji bhavan for lunch and it was definitely good. We also had dinner on the same day - idlies, dosas, appam, iddyappam and coffee. All were quite good, the service was fast and recommended. We took some rest in the room after lunch and started the temple trip by 4 PM. The plan was to visit all popular temples of Kumbakonan within the town.
Kumbakonam is very popular for the Mahamaham - a tank which is said to be a confluence of all holy rivers of India and a grand festival happens every 12 years. The tank is surrounded by 16 small Mandapams and popular temples. The main temples that are part of this Mahamaham are 12 Shiva temples and 5 Vishnu temples:
Visiting even half them in half a day would be a great achievement, for, each of the temple being big, at times crowded, and difficulty in navigating through crowded streets, challenges in parking the car. We managed to visit 6 Shiva temples and 3 Vishnu temples in a span of 5 hours. The day being Saturday and Maha-Pradhosham, both sets of temples were crowded. What a day !
Chakrapani Swamy Temple, Kumbakonam (Baskara (Sun) Shethram)
Deity : Chakrapani Swamy
About : The temple is one of the 5 important temples of Lord Vishnu of Mahamaham.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 2 kms from Mahamaham tank.
History : The temple has nice temple architecture. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu as Lord Chakrapani. There is a bronze statue of Maratha King Serfoji II who is seen worshipping the lord. According to Hindu Mythology, the Sri Chakra, was aimed to kill the demon king Jalandasura. The divine Chakra on killing the asura, settled on the banks of River Cauvery. Lord Brahma established the Sri Chakra in this place and began offering worship to it. Since the Chakra glowed thousand times brighter than the Sun, the Sun god became jealous of the Sri Chakra. Sun increased his brightness to overpower Chakra. The divine Sri Chakra drew the sun’s brightness to its self to teach him a lesson. Then the sun God who realised his mistake, surrendered to the Chakrathazhwar. It is said that Sri Chakrapani Swamy (Lord Vishnu) came out of the Shri Chakra and gave his divine Dharsan to the Surya bhagvan.
Sarangapani Swamy Temple, Kumbakonam (Diva Desam)
Deity : Sarangapani Swamy
About : The temple is one of the 5 important temples of Lord Vishnu of Mahamaham and also one of the 108 Divya Desams.
Timing : 7 AM to 12 PM, 5 PM to 9 PM.
Parking : Parking to be done across narrow streets around temple.
Route : The temple is located 1.5 kms from Mahamaham tank.
History : Lord Vishnu comes in chariot to get married. The shrine houses beautiful pillars with the main deity's sanctum on chariot like structure. The sculptures are outstanding in this temple. The gopuram is 11 Tier, tall and one among the tallest in Tamilnadu. Lord Vishnu is partial reclining position with Brahma blessing from from above.This temple does not have Sorga vasal, as the Lord himself came from Vaikuntam to this temple. Also, in this temple, first, we need to visit Thayaar and then the Lord.
SCN028 - Someshwar Temple, Kumbakonam (Chandran)
Deity : Someshwar (Kudanthai Karonam) / Sikkeshwarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : This temple is beside Sarangapani Temple, on the highway from Thanjavur to Kumbakonam within the town of Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The threads around the pot holding Amirtham fell here and Shiva is called Sikkeshwarar here. Chandran visited and prayed at this temple and hence called Someshwar. The temple has a big gopuram as well.
SCN026 - Thiru Kudamooku Shiva Temple / Adi Kumbeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam
Deity : Adi Kumbeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the big tank of the temple.
Route : This temple is beside Sarangapani Temple, on the highway from Thanjavur to Kumbakonam within the town of Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The temple has a 11 tier gopuram, quite tall and hosts many mandapams across the temple area. Linga is made of sand mixed with Amirtham. The temple hosts so many sanctums than regular Shiva temples.
Arulmigu Ramaswamy Temple
Deity : Ramaswamy (Lord Ram)
About : Ramar Temple.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by narrow lanes near the temple / near the big tank on main road and walk to the temple - 100m.
Route : This temple is 200m in the road opposite to Someswarar temple within the town of Kumbakonam.
History : The temple hosts Rama as main deity. Lord Rama in a seated posture with Sita, Laxman, bharath, Shatrughan and Hanuman. This is a Nayak style temple. The temple also has beautiful paintings.
SCN027 - Nageswaraswamy Koil, Kumbakonam (Keezha Kottam)
Deity : Nageswaraswamy
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the big tank of the temple.
Route : This temple is beside Sarangapani Temple, on the highway from Thanjavur to Kumbakonam within the town of Kumbakonam. This temple is around 1 km from Sarangapani temple. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The main sanctum is on a chariot like structure. The temple is a parikara sthalam for Raghu and Kethu. This is where Adhisesha worshipped Lord Shiva and built the Linga. Hence, the temple name.
Ekambareswarar Temple, Kumbakonam
Deity : Ekambareswarar
About : The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 7 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : No parking area. We did dharshan from outside only :)
Route : This temple is 100m from Nageswaran Temple on the main road. Easy to locate.
History : The main sanctum is Lord Shiva.
Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Kumbakonam
Deity : Kasi Viswanathar and Vishalakshmi
About : The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM
Parking : Parking area is by the temple. Few cars can be parked; or park by the tank and walk.
Route : This temple is just by the Mahamaham tank.
History : The temple is located on the east side of tank facing west.
Abimukeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam
Deity : Abimukeswarar
About : The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM
Parking : Few cars can be parked by the tank and walk.
Route : This temple is just by the Mahamaham tank.
History : When Pralayam destroyed the world, Lord Brahma was worried on re-starting the creation. He approached Lord Shiva for advice. Lord Shiva advised the Creator, saying "go to as many holy places as you can, gather the sands of the places, mix nectar and make a magic pot. The place where the pot stopped, Lord Shiva came out as Abimukeswar and the place is now a temple.
By the time we completed these temples, it was around 8:15 PM. The weather was quite sultry for the day and we were all tired. We went to Balaji bhavan for dinner and went to bed.
Day-3
Day-3 started with a list 4 temples to visit on the way to Chennai. The plan was to reach Chennai post noon to avoid evening traffic. We started the day by 6:30 PM and stopped by one of the temples on the way. The temples were selected which were were within 1-2 kms from the highway.
NCN041 - Satyagireeswarar, Seignalur - Senganur
Deity : Satyagireeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 9 AM to 11:00 AM, 5 PM to 7 PM
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; small parking area.
Route : This temple is 16 kms from Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : This is the birth place of Chandikeswarar. Also, a piece of Mount Meru fell at this location and hence a temple. The temple was closed as we went by 7 AM.
We also visited a temple built Krishna Bhakts for Lord Vishnu - Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple. The temple was quite new and well managed.
NCN040 - Baluganthanatha Swami Kovil, Thiruvoippadi
Deity : Baluganthanatha Swami
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 9 AM to 11:00 AM, 5 PM to 7 PM
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; small parking area.
Route : 2 kms from the above temple. Almost, on the highway. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : This is the temple where Chandikeswarar was a kid and during his penance to Lord Shiva, failed to notice his father attempting to beat him for wasting milk for abhishekams, and cutting off his legs. Since then, Lord Shiva become father for Chandikeswarar and gave mukthi. The temple was closed as we went by 7:15 AM.
NCN039 - Thirupananthal Shiva Temple / Thaalapureeswarar Siva Temple
Deity : Thaalapureeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; small parking area.
Route : 2 kms from the above temple. Almost, on the highway. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The temple is where a Naga Kanni worshipped Lord Shiva. The temple is known for relief from Naga Doshas. The temple is quite big.
As started earlier, all these villages are very small, we could not locate a proper hotel to have breakfast. Most of the eateries were hosted in tents/huts and were quite shabby. One moment, we paused and bought some hot vadais to eat. They were quite good until we would find a restaurant around 55 kms down near Vadalur. Hotel Aaryas was available on the highway just before Vadalur and we stopped for breakfast by 10 AM. The pongal and dosas with sambhar and chutney were very good in this restaurant. Vadalur is famous for Vallalar - Ramalinga Adigalar.
We continued our drive towards Chennai on the route Vadalur - Panruti - Vikkravandi - Tindivanam - Chennai. There is a 2500 years old Shiva temple at Panayapuram at the junction before we get on to the Grand Trunk Road.
NNT020 - Panayapuram Shiva Temple
Deity : Panangatteswarar / Nethrotharaneswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; considerably big parking area.
Route : This temple is 1 km before joining the GST from the Kumbakonam road leading to Vadalur.
History : The temple is built by Kulothunga Cholan. Dakshan (Parvathi's father) performed a Yagna and did not invite Shiva. Lord Shiva sent Veera Bhadrar to punish everyone. During the war, Suryan loses eye sight and seeks forgiveness. This place is where the temple is built. Also, this is the temple, where Sibi Chakravarthy cut off his thigh to compensate the life of a pigeon.
Adiparasakthi Temple, Melmaruavathur
Deity : Adi Parashakthi
About : This is a Siddhar peetam.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; Big parking area - hundreds of vehicles can be parked for free.
Route : This temple is around 90 kms before Chennai on the Grand Trunk road.
History : The temple is maintained by Bangaru Adigalar. The temple is very popular in south India for many throng this temple. Easily, it takes a minimum of 1 hour to have dharshan. The temple is very well organized and maintained - from cleanliness to helping everyone have dharshan. The community of this town has been totally built by the growth of pilgrimage to the temple.
After stopping for lunch after Tindivanam at Mount Road Coffee House, where the food was above average and enough for a quick bite - meals, chappathi, curd rice. All were quite ok; we reached home by 14:45 as planned.
Challenges on the trip:
1. Exact location of temples in rural areas. At times, we would be led to very narrow lanes by Google maps, cars may or may not be able to make it. Better to ask local guides!
2. Temple timings vary drastically in rural areas. Quite difficult to know in internet as well, but, try to gather information before you go.
3. Car parking in few temples is a challenge; go through it!
4. Hygienic eateries/restaurants are very very less/not found in rural areas. Plan the day with breakfast and lunch in the plan; better to have in some big town
5. Get stock of water bottles and snacks
Dates - 21, 22 and 23 September 2018
Trip - Chennai - Samayapuram - Anbil - Thanjavur - Thiruvaiyaru - Thanjavur - Thittai - Patteswaram - Kumbakonam - Chennai
The plan was to cover as much as temples of my family's interest, Divya desams and ancient Shiva temples. We did happen to cover quite a bit with nice breaks in afternoons.
Guidance - Google maps has got code for the temples - like NCN002, SCN023 and etc. It would be a good homework to do and get the list of codes before you set on a trip like this. This saves time as the spelling and name of the temples might not match most of the times; but, codes do. Later down the days, I am planning to share all the codes as a separate blog soon.
Like my other blogs, I am not going to be too detailed here; I shall name the temple with special mention of history, if applicable and details of distance, route, parking, timing and related.
Day-1
We started from Chennai by 6:30 AM on a Friday and stopped by Hotel Oorvasi on the highway after Tindivanam. The restaurant is self service even for water. The quantity and quality of food served was pretty good. One tiffen item and the tummy was absolutely full; be it the pongal or dosai. Went on with the drive and reached Samayapuram by 10:45 AM.
Samayapuram Mariamman Temple
Samayapuram Mariamman Temple is located around 17 kms before Trichy from Chennai; 1 km from the GST Highway. The main deity is Mariamman, made of sand and clay. It is a very popular belief amongst Tamilians that a visit to this temple shall bring in good fortune. The Goddess has enormous powers to cure diseases. The devotees buy small metallic replicas of human body parts, made with silver or steel, and deposit in the donation box as a ritual. The temple is open from 5.30 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. There are lot of parking space available with a fee of Rs.30 at the entrance.
It took around 45 minutes for us to complete the paid dharshan (Rs.30 and Rs.100 are available) and back on the highway.
NCN058 - Thiru Mandurai Shiva Temple, Mandurai
This temple is around 20 minutes drive from Samayapuram on the north bank of Cauvery.
Deity : Amravaneswarar (Lord Shiva), Goddess Balambigai
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 5:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles
Route : Decent roads by the Cauvery river leading to Grand Anaicut. Can be located by google maps.
History : Place where Surya Bhaghavan prayed to Lord Shiva to get along with his wife. The temple is known as Parikara sthalam for Sun.
Anbil is around 20 mins drive from Mandurai. There are 2 temples to see here - one Shiva temple and one Divya desam. Anbil is around 30 kms from Trichy and 7 kms from Lalgudi.
NCN057 - Sathyavakeeswarar, Anbil
Deity : Sathyavakeeswarar (Lord Shiva)
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple
Route : Decent roads by the Kollidam river banks. Can be located by google maps close to location, follow the main roads instead of narrow streets in Anbil.
History : This temple has a grand gopuram - 5-tier. Presiding deity is known as Sathyavakeeswarar or Brahmapureeswarar. The temple has ancient inscriptions dating the temple back to 1000+ years back.
Anbil - Sri Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple
Deity : Sundararaja Perumal or Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple
Route : Decent roads by the Kollidam river banks. Can be located by google maps close to location, temple is on the main road; easy to locate.
History : Lord Vishnu is in reclining position. The temple is where Maduka Mamuni, cursed to be a frog, redeemed to be back as human.
By the time, we completed the above temples, it was 12:30 and most of the temples enroute would be closing. We decided to drive to Thanjavur; where we had booked our rooms in Hotel Gnanam. We reached the hotel by 1:45 PM through Poondi and Thiruvaiyaru. We saw the Poondi matha koil from outside and moved on to Thanjavur. River Cauvery and Kollidam had water stagnated by check dams in between; but mostly the river was a desert.
Hotel Gnanam - the check-in was quick and we got spacious rooms. The hotel is quite posh for the city, has got lift, big rooms, nice mattress, clean bathrooms and toiletries. Overall, the rooms are very satisfactory. The restaurant is also quite good. We had meals, sambar rice, curd rice and Biryani. All items were quite good. No complaints place!
Evening, we decided to see few temples around Thiruvayaru and couple of popular temples in Thanjavur.
Punnainallur Mariamman Temple
Deity : Mariamman Temple
About : This temple is a popular Mariamman temple
Timing : 6.00 AM - 8.30 PM
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple and more space on the highway
Route : The temple is located around 7 kms from Thanjavur on the NH to Thiruvarur.
History : The temple was built by Maharashtra king Venkoji Maharaja Chatrapati of Tanjore as he spotted the idol in the jungle based on his dream. The temple is normally crowded on special occasions and weekends. Rest of the time, the temple shall be sparsely crowded and one gets to have dharshan in 10-15 minutes and come out. Free dharshan and Rs.10 dharshan are available.
Kandiyur - Sri Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal Temple
Deity : Hara Saabha Vimocchana Perumal
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 7:30 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple on the main road
Route : The temple is located in outskirts of Thanjavur enroute to Thiruvayaru - 10 kms from Thanjavur.
History : This temple is for Lord Vishnu relieving the sin of Lord Shiva for chopping off one of the five heads of Lord Brahma. Shiva chopped one of the heads of Brahma as Parvti started praying the Brahma thinking he to be the supreme power. The chopped head got stuck to Shiva's hand and this is the place where it got detached and sins cleansed.
NCN051 - Arulmigu Aiyarappar Thirukovil
Deity : Aiyarappan (Lord Shiva) / Panchanadeeswara Swamy (5 rivers)
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 11:00 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lots of parking area at the temple
Route : The temple is located in the town of Thiruvayaru. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : This temple is very old and called Dakshina Kailash. The presiding deity is named after 5 rivers at Thiruvayaru; 2 shrines - Uttara Kailasham and Dhakshina Kailasham are present in the temple. Shiva Linga is Swyambu in this temple and circumambulation is not allowed representing the Jadaa-mudi of Shiva. The temple hosts beautiful paintings and sculptures. The temple is quite big and one of the biggest temples in Tamilnadu.
NCN050 - Thirupazhanam
Deity : Apathsahayar / Abathsahayeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 11:00 AM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Enough parking area for few cars.
Route : The temple is located 3 kms east of Tiruvaiyaru after crossing Thingalur village road cut. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : An orphaned kid stayed in the temple and had a dream of Yama taking his life in few days. The kid prayed to Lord Shiva to save him and Shiva saved him from Yama. Also, it is aid that Amirtham was saved and kept in this location by Kowshikar. Kowshikar made a Linga out of Amirtham and that is worshiped as main deity in this temple. The temple is very artistic and hosts beautiful sculptures.
NCN052 - Thillaisthanam Shiva Temple (Thiruneythanam)
Deity : Neyyadiappar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 10 AM to 11:00 AM, 5 PM to 7 PM.
Parking : Enough parking area for few cars.
Route : The temple is located 2 kms west of Tiruvaiyaru. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : Lingam is Swyambu in this temple. Kamadhenu (holy cow) was pouring milk at a random location and it changed to ghee because of heat. On checking the location, the Lingam was found and a temple raised. Ghee abhishekam is very prominent in this temple.
Brahadeeswara Temple
Deity : Brahadeeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM–12:30 PM; 4 PM – 8:30 PM
Parking : Huge paid parking area opposite to the temple
Route : The temple is located in heart of Thanjavur. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : Nothing much needs to be elaborated for this temple, as this is one of the most important temples in India. This temple hosts one of the biggest Lingam in main sanctum and well known for the spell bounding architecture. The temple hosts amazing sculptures, paintings and inscriptions. One needs only few minutes to have a good dharshan; but few hours to appreciate the art the temple presents.
By the time we came out of Brihadeeswarar temple, it was 8:30 PM and most of the other temples would have closed. We reached back to Hotel Gnanam, had dinner, which was quite good and went to bed.
Day-2
Day-2 was planned for temples enroute to Kumbakonam from Thanjavur. We started the day by 6:30 after checking out from Hotel Gnanam. I did some homework to plot the temples we want to visit on the lines of Day-1 towards Kumbakonam in the first half and then the temples in Kumbakonam by second half of the day.
Bangaru Kamakshi
Deity : Kamakshi Amman
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM; 4 PM to 9 PM.
Parking : Enough parking area for few cars.
Route : The temple is located on the Mela masi street in Thanjavur. It is quite congested place for car to be parked. Luckily, we went early in the morning and the road was deserted.
History : Goddess Kamakshi Idol is made of gold in this temple. The idol was actually at Kancheepuram and shifted by Sankaracharya to Thanjavur, when he shifted his base to protect it from the Mughal invasions.
There are 4 temples next to next in 3 kms from Thanjavur on the Kumbakonam highway. One Shiva temple and 3 Divya Desam temples.
Thanjavur - Thanjapureeswarar Shiva Temple Aanandavalli Amman Temple / Kuberapureeswarar Temple
Deity : Thanjapureeswarar / Kuberapureeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 padal patra sthalams
Timing : 6 AM to 1:00 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple
Route : 3 kms from Thanjavur towards Kumbakonam highway (on the highway)
History : The temple faces westwards unlike most of the temples facing east. This temple was built before Brahadeswara temple. It is believed that Brahadeswara temple was built only after worshipping this God. It is also said that Kuberan got all his wealth after worshipping Lord Shiva here.
Thanjai Mamanikoil Narasimha Perumal Temple
Deity : Narashimha Perumal / Veera Narashimhar
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 7:30 PM.
Parking : Available for around 20 vehicles by the temple - paid parking
Route : 3 kms from Thanjavur towards Kumbakonam highway (on the highway). 100m from the above temple.
History : This is one of the 3 temples forming 1 Divya Desam. There were 3 asuras - Thanjakan, Gajamukhan and Dandhakan. Lord Vishnu destroyed these 3 in different avatars - Vishnu, Narasimha and Varaha respectively. These 3 temples are next to each other. This is one of them. The Lord is in Narashimha avatar in sitting posture.
Thanjai Manikundra Perumal Koil
Deity : Manikundra Perumal
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Available for 1-2 vehicles by the temple
Route : 3.5 kms from Thanjavur towards Kumbakonam highway (on the highway). 200m from the above temple.
History : This is one of the 3 temples forming 1 Divya Desam. There were 3 asuras - Thanjakan, Gajamukhan and Dandhakan. Lord Vishnu destroyed these 3 in different avatars - Vishnu, Narasimha and Varaha respectively. These 3 temples are next to each other. This is one of them. The Lord is in sitting posture.
Thanjai Neelamega Perumal Temple
Deity : Neelamega Perumal
About : This is one of the 108 Divya Desams
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 5 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Available for few vehicles by the temple
Route : 3.75 kms from Thanjavur towards Kumbakonam highway (on the highway). 200m from the above temple.
History : This is one of the 3 temples forming 1 Divya Desam. There were 3 asuras - Thanjakan, Gajamukhan and Dandhakan. Lord Vishnu destroyed these 3 in different avatars - Vishnu, Narasimha and Varaha respectively. These 3 temples are next to each other. This is one of them. The Lord is in sitting posture.
SCN015 - Vasisteshwaran Temple, Thittai
Deity : Vasisteshwaran / Swayambootheswarar
About : This is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. This is also a Guru parikara Sthalam.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Paid parking for lot of cars in big ground and by the temple available. No worries.
Route : The temple is located 11 kms from Thanjavur, enroute to Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : Thittu means small island. During pralayam cross the world, Brahma & Vishnu worshipped the Lord Shiva for protection. After looking for a safe place, they found Thittai, which did not drown in during Pralayam. There was a Shiva Lingam in the location and became a temple. A unique feature of this temple is a drop of water falls on the Lingam (Main Deity) exactly every twenty four minutes (1 Naazhigai) from the roof. But for a small hole, there is no source of water or anything, on the Vimana of the main deity. This is the only place where you can see Guru Bhagavan who is the Raja Guru, in standing posture with 4 hands holding his weapons and a book.
We started looking for eateries for breakfast, and could not locate even a small eatery. Our next planned stop was at Avoor. We then went through Thirukarukavur. We stopped at a small eatery here, idlies and dosas - were ok.
SCN021-Pasupatheeswarar Temple, Avoor
Deity : Pasupatheeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. This is also Pancha Bairava Sannidhi - performing parikaram for pithru (ancestors).
Timing : 6:30 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 21 kms from Thirrai and 33 kms from Thanjavur, enroute to Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps. This is by the main road - less than 200m from the highway.
History : This temple is a mounted temple with few stairs to climb. King Dasaratha performed pooja here, identified the pancha bhairavas and installed them.
SCN022-Thirusakthimuttam Temple, Patteeswaram
Deity : Sakthivanesvarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. This temple is opposite to the famous Patteswaram Durga Devi temple.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 4 kms from Avoor and 8 kms before Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : Goddess Parvati performed penance for Lord Shiva and he tested her patience. Lord Shiva appeared as a ball of fire; and knowing this, the Goddess hugged the fire.
SCN023 - Thenupuriswarar Temple, Patteeswaram
Deity : Thenupuriswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. This temple is behind the sanctum of the famous Patteswaram Durga Devi.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 4 kms from Avoor and 8 kms before Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The temple has tall gopuram and quite big in size. The Nandi sanctum shall be out of alignment with Lord Shiva - the reason being, this is the place where Thirugnana Sambandar visited Patteswaram in scorching heat and the Lord ordered the devotees to carry Muthu Panthal for him. Notwithstanding for the Sambandar to arrive the temple, Shiva ordered Nandi to move and make way to see him arriving at the temple. This can be seen by the way Nandi being out of alignment in the temple. The temple also hosts beautiful paintings and sculptures.
Airavateswarar Temple, Darasuram
Deity : Airavateswarar
About : The temple - Darasuram is greatly known for the amazing and intrinsic sculptures. This is an ASI site and one of the UNESCO world heritage sites.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 4 kms from Avoor and 8 kms before Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The temple was built by Rajaraja Cholan II. The temple hosts a big Lingam which is said to have been worshipped by the grand White Elephant called Airavatham, elephant of Indra. The stone temple is built like a chariot with grand sculptures of horses, decorated wheels and much more. The gardens are maintained very well in this temple. The temple is famous for the stone sculpted windows; which is a gem of the sculptures in the temple.
It was pretty hot by noon and we are quite tired after visiting so many temples since early in the morning. We had booked Hotel Poppys SET Residency in Kumbakonam. This hotel is behind (10 mins walk) from Mahamaham tank. The hotel has huge open parking adjacent to the hotel building. The rooms are quite big, spacious and clean. The check-in was smooth. The hotel has a restaurant, but, we did not try it. Instead we had food at Hotel Balaji Bhavan, 300m from this hotel.
We had south Indian meals at Balaji bhavan for lunch and it was definitely good. We also had dinner on the same day - idlies, dosas, appam, iddyappam and coffee. All were quite good, the service was fast and recommended. We took some rest in the room after lunch and started the temple trip by 4 PM. The plan was to visit all popular temples of Kumbakonan within the town.
Kumbakonam is very popular for the Mahamaham - a tank which is said to be a confluence of all holy rivers of India and a grand festival happens every 12 years. The tank is surrounded by 16 small Mandapams and popular temples. The main temples that are part of this Mahamaham are 12 Shiva temples and 5 Vishnu temples:
- Shiva Temples
- Kasi Viswanathar Temple
- Kumbeswarar Temple
- Someswarar Temple
- Nageswara Temple
- Ekambareswarar Temple
- Abimukeswarar Temple
- Gowthameswarar Temple
- Kambatta Visvanathar Temple
- Banapuriswarar Temple
- Kalahasteeswarar Temple
- Koteeswarar Temple
- Amirthakalasanathar Temple
- Vishnu Temples
- Sarangapani Temple
- Chakrapani Temple
- Ramaswamy Temple
- Rajagopalaswamy Temple
- Varahaperumal Temple
Visiting even half them in half a day would be a great achievement, for, each of the temple being big, at times crowded, and difficulty in navigating through crowded streets, challenges in parking the car. We managed to visit 6 Shiva temples and 3 Vishnu temples in a span of 5 hours. The day being Saturday and Maha-Pradhosham, both sets of temples were crowded. What a day !
Chakrapani Swamy Temple, Kumbakonam (Baskara (Sun) Shethram)
Deity : Chakrapani Swamy
About : The temple is one of the 5 important temples of Lord Vishnu of Mahamaham.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : The temple is located 2 kms from Mahamaham tank.
History : The temple has nice temple architecture. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu as Lord Chakrapani. There is a bronze statue of Maratha King Serfoji II who is seen worshipping the lord. According to Hindu Mythology, the Sri Chakra, was aimed to kill the demon king Jalandasura. The divine Chakra on killing the asura, settled on the banks of River Cauvery. Lord Brahma established the Sri Chakra in this place and began offering worship to it. Since the Chakra glowed thousand times brighter than the Sun, the Sun god became jealous of the Sri Chakra. Sun increased his brightness to overpower Chakra. The divine Sri Chakra drew the sun’s brightness to its self to teach him a lesson. Then the sun God who realised his mistake, surrendered to the Chakrathazhwar. It is said that Sri Chakrapani Swamy (Lord Vishnu) came out of the Shri Chakra and gave his divine Dharsan to the Surya bhagvan.
Sarangapani Swamy Temple, Kumbakonam (Diva Desam)
Deity : Sarangapani Swamy
About : The temple is one of the 5 important temples of Lord Vishnu of Mahamaham and also one of the 108 Divya Desams.
Timing : 7 AM to 12 PM, 5 PM to 9 PM.
Parking : Parking to be done across narrow streets around temple.
Route : The temple is located 1.5 kms from Mahamaham tank.
History : Lord Vishnu comes in chariot to get married. The shrine houses beautiful pillars with the main deity's sanctum on chariot like structure. The sculptures are outstanding in this temple. The gopuram is 11 Tier, tall and one among the tallest in Tamilnadu. Lord Vishnu is partial reclining position with Brahma blessing from from above.This temple does not have Sorga vasal, as the Lord himself came from Vaikuntam to this temple. Also, in this temple, first, we need to visit Thayaar and then the Lord.
SCN028 - Someshwar Temple, Kumbakonam (Chandran)
Deity : Someshwar (Kudanthai Karonam) / Sikkeshwarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 6 AM to 12 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Lot of parking area - free parking available.
Route : This temple is beside Sarangapani Temple, on the highway from Thanjavur to Kumbakonam within the town of Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The threads around the pot holding Amirtham fell here and Shiva is called Sikkeshwarar here. Chandran visited and prayed at this temple and hence called Someshwar. The temple has a big gopuram as well.
SCN026 - Thiru Kudamooku Shiva Temple / Adi Kumbeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam
Deity : Adi Kumbeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the big tank of the temple.
Route : This temple is beside Sarangapani Temple, on the highway from Thanjavur to Kumbakonam within the town of Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The temple has a 11 tier gopuram, quite tall and hosts many mandapams across the temple area. Linga is made of sand mixed with Amirtham. The temple hosts so many sanctums than regular Shiva temples.
Arulmigu Ramaswamy Temple
Deity : Ramaswamy (Lord Ram)
About : Ramar Temple.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by narrow lanes near the temple / near the big tank on main road and walk to the temple - 100m.
Route : This temple is 200m in the road opposite to Someswarar temple within the town of Kumbakonam.
History : The temple hosts Rama as main deity. Lord Rama in a seated posture with Sita, Laxman, bharath, Shatrughan and Hanuman. This is a Nayak style temple. The temple also has beautiful paintings.
SCN027 - Nageswaraswamy Koil, Kumbakonam (Keezha Kottam)
Deity : Nageswaraswamy
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams. The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the big tank of the temple.
Route : This temple is beside Sarangapani Temple, on the highway from Thanjavur to Kumbakonam within the town of Kumbakonam. This temple is around 1 km from Sarangapani temple. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The main sanctum is on a chariot like structure. The temple is a parikara sthalam for Raghu and Kethu. This is where Adhisesha worshipped Lord Shiva and built the Linga. Hence, the temple name.
Ekambareswarar Temple, Kumbakonam
Deity : Ekambareswarar
About : The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 7 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM.
Parking : No parking area. We did dharshan from outside only :)
Route : This temple is 100m from Nageswaran Temple on the main road. Easy to locate.
History : The main sanctum is Lord Shiva.
Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Kumbakonam
Deity : Kasi Viswanathar and Vishalakshmi
About : The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM
Parking : Parking area is by the temple. Few cars can be parked; or park by the tank and walk.
Route : This temple is just by the Mahamaham tank.
History : The temple is located on the east side of tank facing west.
Abimukeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam
Deity : Abimukeswarar
About : The temple is one of the 12 important temples of Lord Shiva of Mahamaham.
Timing : 7 AM to 12:00 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM
Parking : Few cars can be parked by the tank and walk.
Route : This temple is just by the Mahamaham tank.
History : When Pralayam destroyed the world, Lord Brahma was worried on re-starting the creation. He approached Lord Shiva for advice. Lord Shiva advised the Creator, saying "go to as many holy places as you can, gather the sands of the places, mix nectar and make a magic pot. The place where the pot stopped, Lord Shiva came out as Abimukeswar and the place is now a temple.
By the time we completed these temples, it was around 8:15 PM. The weather was quite sultry for the day and we were all tired. We went to Balaji bhavan for dinner and went to bed.
Day-3
Day-3 started with a list 4 temples to visit on the way to Chennai. The plan was to reach Chennai post noon to avoid evening traffic. We started the day by 6:30 PM and stopped by one of the temples on the way. The temples were selected which were were within 1-2 kms from the highway.
NCN041 - Satyagireeswarar, Seignalur - Senganur
Deity : Satyagireeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 9 AM to 11:00 AM, 5 PM to 7 PM
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; small parking area.
Route : This temple is 16 kms from Kumbakonam. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : This is the birth place of Chandikeswarar. Also, a piece of Mount Meru fell at this location and hence a temple. The temple was closed as we went by 7 AM.
We also visited a temple built Krishna Bhakts for Lord Vishnu - Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple. The temple was quite new and well managed.
NCN040 - Baluganthanatha Swami Kovil, Thiruvoippadi
Deity : Baluganthanatha Swami
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 9 AM to 11:00 AM, 5 PM to 7 PM
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; small parking area.
Route : 2 kms from the above temple. Almost, on the highway. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : This is the temple where Chandikeswarar was a kid and during his penance to Lord Shiva, failed to notice his father attempting to beat him for wasting milk for abhishekams, and cutting off his legs. Since then, Lord Shiva become father for Chandikeswarar and gave mukthi. The temple was closed as we went by 7:15 AM.
NCN039 - Thirupananthal Shiva Temple / Thaalapureeswarar Siva Temple
Deity : Thaalapureeswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; small parking area.
Route : 2 kms from the above temple. Almost, on the highway. Easy to locate by google maps.
History : The temple is where a Naga Kanni worshipped Lord Shiva. The temple is known for relief from Naga Doshas. The temple is quite big.
As started earlier, all these villages are very small, we could not locate a proper hotel to have breakfast. Most of the eateries were hosted in tents/huts and were quite shabby. One moment, we paused and bought some hot vadais to eat. They were quite good until we would find a restaurant around 55 kms down near Vadalur. Hotel Aaryas was available on the highway just before Vadalur and we stopped for breakfast by 10 AM. The pongal and dosas with sambhar and chutney were very good in this restaurant. Vadalur is famous for Vallalar - Ramalinga Adigalar.
We continued our drive towards Chennai on the route Vadalur - Panruti - Vikkravandi - Tindivanam - Chennai. There is a 2500 years old Shiva temple at Panayapuram at the junction before we get on to the Grand Trunk Road.
NNT020 - Panayapuram Shiva Temple
Deity : Panangatteswarar / Nethrotharaneswarar
About : This is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; considerably big parking area.
Route : This temple is 1 km before joining the GST from the Kumbakonam road leading to Vadalur.
History : The temple is built by Kulothunga Cholan. Dakshan (Parvathi's father) performed a Yagna and did not invite Shiva. Lord Shiva sent Veera Bhadrar to punish everyone. During the war, Suryan loses eye sight and seeks forgiveness. This place is where the temple is built. Also, this is the temple, where Sibi Chakravarthy cut off his thigh to compensate the life of a pigeon.
Adiparasakthi Temple, Melmaruavathur
Deity : Adi Parashakthi
About : This is a Siddhar peetam.
Timing : 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 4 PM to 9:30 PM.
Parking : Parking area is by the temple; Big parking area - hundreds of vehicles can be parked for free.
Route : This temple is around 90 kms before Chennai on the Grand Trunk road.
History : The temple is maintained by Bangaru Adigalar. The temple is very popular in south India for many throng this temple. Easily, it takes a minimum of 1 hour to have dharshan. The temple is very well organized and maintained - from cleanliness to helping everyone have dharshan. The community of this town has been totally built by the growth of pilgrimage to the temple.
After stopping for lunch after Tindivanam at Mount Road Coffee House, where the food was above average and enough for a quick bite - meals, chappathi, curd rice. All were quite ok; we reached home by 14:45 as planned.
Challenges on the trip:
1. Exact location of temples in rural areas. At times, we would be led to very narrow lanes by Google maps, cars may or may not be able to make it. Better to ask local guides!
2. Temple timings vary drastically in rural areas. Quite difficult to know in internet as well, but, try to gather information before you go.
3. Car parking in few temples is a challenge; go through it!
4. Hygienic eateries/restaurants are very very less/not found in rural areas. Plan the day with breakfast and lunch in the plan; better to have in some big town
5. Get stock of water bottles and snacks
