Temples of Kumbakonam
Encyclopedia
Kumbakonam (kumpakōṇam), is a city and a special grade municipality
in the Thanjavur district
in the India
n state of Tamil Nadu
. It is located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 273 kilometres from Chennai
. It is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam taluk
of Thanjavur district.
Kumbakonam is a temple town with many Hindu temple
s located in and around it. Majority of the temples are dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.
is another important Vaishanavite temple in Kumbakonam. The greatness of Ramaswamy Temple is said to be the only temple where Lord Rama, Goddess Sita
are in the same platform and Lord Hanuman
is playing the veena
instead of reading the Ramayana. The entire deity is said to be made from Saligrama monolith. The Temple is filled with intricate carvings in its pillars.
in the guise of Nagaraja, the serpent king. Also known as "Koothandavar Kovil", it is located near the Kumbakonam old bus stand. Aditya Chola
constructed this temple during the 12th century. It stands as a great marvel of Chola architecture, building technology and astronomy
. The design and orientation are structured in such a way that it allows sunlight inside the temple only during the Tamil month of Chithirai (April/May), therefore, it bears another name called Surya
Kottam or Keel Kottam. The Karuvarai (Sanctum Sanctorum) of Nageswaran temple is similar to that of Sarangapani Temple
, as it is made in the form of a Chariot
. The temple consists of three gopurams in the eastern western and southern directions.
This vast temple known is for its shrine to Rahu
, one of the nine celestial bodies in the Navagraha. A legend has it that the mythological serpents Adiseshan, Dakshan and Kaarkotakan worshipped Shiva here. Legend also has it that King Nala worshipped Shiva here as in Thirunallar
is in the midst of the busy market place. Before the Sri Rangam Temple gopuram
(tower) was built, this temple used to hold the place for the tallest Temple Tower in South Asia. This twelve storied 147 feet (44.8 m) high temple was built by the Nayak Kings during 15th century.
of 13th century of the Chola period. Arumugam
and Thenar Mozhi Ammal are the other deities located in this temple complex.
is located 8 km east of Kumbakonam. There are two major temples at Thirunageswaram. One the famous Vaishnavaite temple of Oppliyappan (Oppliyappan Sannadhi)(the Venkatesh Perumal of Tirupathi), the other the ThiruNageswarar or NagaNathaswami (Naga in Tamil/Sanskrit means Snake and Natha means God) temple for Shaivaites.
An important rite of this temple is that of Rahu
bhagawan sannathi where milk abhishekham is performed daily during Rahukaalam
. At this time, milk that is poured on the statue is supposed to turn blue when it passes over the body, and back to white after it reaches the floor. This is watched by many daily during the raahu kaalam. This is also the only place wherein one can view Rahu bhagawan with his consorts.
The temple at Darasuram
, 4 km west of Kumbakonam is Airvatesvara (Airavat is the holy white elephant) Temple, constructed by Rajaraja Chola II
(1146–63), is a superb example of 12th-century Chola architecture. Many statues were removed to the art gallery in the Thanjavur Palace, but have since been returned. The remarkable structures depict, among other things, Shiva as Kankala-murti - the mendicant. Stories from epics and Hindu mythology are depicted. Adjoining the Airavatesvara temple is the Deiva Nayaki Ambal temple.
In 2004 the Archaeological Survey of India
(ASI) excavated and restored the temple.
from the Chola period.
It is in Solaiyappan Street. The great Vijayeendra Tirtha's Aradhana falls on Jyeshta Trayodashi. He was one of the greatest scholar what India has produced. He was a staunch Vishnu bhakta and a great philosopher. He was an exponent of 64 vidyas.
about 125 years ago. It is in Solaiappan Street. Every year sabha celebrates Sri Rama Navami Utasavam and Sri Radha Kalyana Mahotsavam and committed to its various cultural and religious needs of the Hindu society with the grace of Lord Rama.
is the presiding deity of the temple. Particularly worshiping at 4.30-6.00 pm[RAHU KAALAM] on Sundays is special.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Thanjavur district
Thanjavur District
Thanjavur District is one of the 32 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur.-Geography:...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. It is located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 273 kilometres from Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. It is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam taluk
Kumbakonam taluk
Kumbakonam taluk is a taluk of Thanjavur district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Kumbakonam.- Population :...
of Thanjavur district.
Kumbakonam is a temple town with many Hindu temple
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
s located in and around it. Majority of the temples are dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.
Adi Kumbeswara Temple
Adi Kumbeswarar temple is the major one among the Saivite temples and located in the centre of Kumbakonam at Big Bazaar Street. Shri Adhi Kumbeswara is the presiding deity of Kumbakonam and Manthrapeeteswari Mangalambika is the lord's Consort. The temple complex is huge and has beautiful artwork. This temple covers an area of 30181 sq ft (2,803.9 m²). with a length and breadth of 750 feet (228.6 m), and 252 feet (76.8 m) respectively. This temple comprises three Praharas and three Gopurams in the eastern, northern and western directions. It is believed that Govinda Theeksithan, the Chieftain of Achutha Nayakar of Thanjavur, renovated this oldest temple during 16th century. The East Gopuram consists of 9 stories with a height of 128 ft (39 m). Mangala Theertham, Marriage hall and small temples for Muruga, Ganapathi and Mangalambigai are other major constituents of this temple.Goddess Saraswathi Temple
In Koothanur village which is very near to Nannilam, an extremely rare temple for Saraswathi exists. During examination times, many students come to worship Goddess Sarashwathi, the goddess of Wisdom. Reaching the temple is convenient because of ample transport facilities from Kumbakonam, about 30 km away.Ramaswamy Temple
The Ramaswamy Temple which depicts the paintings of RamayanaRamayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
is another important Vaishanavite temple in Kumbakonam. The greatness of Ramaswamy Temple is said to be the only temple where Lord Rama, Goddess Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
are in the same platform and Lord Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
is playing the veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
instead of reading the Ramayana. The entire deity is said to be made from Saligrama monolith. The Temple is filled with intricate carvings in its pillars.
Chakrapani Temple
Chakrapani Temple is situated about 1.5 km North of Ramaswamy Temple. Here the main deity is Chakraraja. The Sudharshana Chakra is also here. The temple is also an exquisite exponent of the early temple architecture. The important and peculiar point about this temple is that Vilva (Bilwa) archana which is normally performed in Shiva temples is also performed here for the Perumal (Lord Vishnu).Kasi Viswanathar Temple
Kasi Viswanathar Temple is situated very close to the Mahamaham tank and another one temple is placed in Solaiyappan street. Here the main deity is Kasi Viswanathar/Visalakshi. The important and peculiar point about this temple is the navakanniyar, which are the 9 holy rivers. It is believed that the mahamaham function is closely associated with the 9 presiding deities namely Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhatra, Krishna and Sarayu. Another important part is the stala lingam present in the southern part of the temple. It was worshipped by Ravana and is believed to grow with ages. The temple can be accessed by alighting at the Head post office bus stop.Nageswaran Temple
Nageswaran Temple, is dedicated to ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
in the guise of Nagaraja, the serpent king. Also known as "Koothandavar Kovil", it is located near the Kumbakonam old bus stand. Aditya Chola
Aditya I
Aditya I , the son of Vijayalaya, was the first great Chola king of South India who extended the Chola dominions by the conquest of the Pallavas.- Pallava Civil War :...
constructed this temple during the 12th century. It stands as a great marvel of Chola architecture, building technology and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. The design and orientation are structured in such a way that it allows sunlight inside the temple only during the Tamil month of Chithirai (April/May), therefore, it bears another name called Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
Kottam or Keel Kottam. The Karuvarai (Sanctum Sanctorum) of Nageswaran temple is similar to that of Sarangapani Temple
Sarangapani Temple
Sarangapani Temple is a place of worship, dedicated to Vishnu as the Supreme God of the Vaishnava traditions of Hinduism.It lies in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is about 1 miles away from Kumbakonam railway station. Which is on the Chennai - Tanjore main line. is one of the "Divya...
, as it is made in the form of a Chariot
Temple car
Temple cars are chariots used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart....
. The temple consists of three gopurams in the eastern western and southern directions.
This vast temple known is for its shrine to Rahu
Rahu
In Hindu mythology, Rahu is a cut-off head of an asura, that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses. He is depicted in art as a serpent with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. Rahu is one of the navagrahas in Vedic astrology...
, one of the nine celestial bodies in the Navagraha. A legend has it that the mythological serpents Adiseshan, Dakshan and Kaarkotakan worshipped Shiva here. Legend also has it that King Nala worshipped Shiva here as in Thirunallar
Sarangapani Temple
Of the many temples in Kumbakonam, the most striking is the Lord Sarangapani Temple, a Vaishnavite temple. This famous pancharanga kshetramPancharanga Kshetrams
Pancharanga Kshetrams literally means 5 Ranganatha temples . These 5 temples are situated on the banks of Kaveri in south India. The following constitute Pancharanga Kshetrams:-References:2....
is in the midst of the busy market place. Before the Sri Rangam Temple gopuram
Gopuram
A Gopuram or Gopura, is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. This forms a prominent feature of Koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial...
(tower) was built, this temple used to hold the place for the tallest Temple Tower in South Asia. This twelve storied 147 feet (44.8 m) high temple was built by the Nayak Kings during 15th century.
Someswar Temple
Someswar Temple is situated in the southern portion of Sri Sarangapani temple. This temple faces east with a 5-tier Gopuram at the entrance. It also has an entrance in the south. The architectural style and element of this temple resembles the Dravidian ArchitectureDravidian architecture
Dravidian architecture was a style of architecture that emerged thousands of years ago in Southern part of the Indian subcontinent or South India. They consist primarily of pyramid shaped temples called Koils which are dependent on intricate carved stone in order to create a step design consisting...
of 13th century of the Chola period. Arumugam
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
and Thenar Mozhi Ammal are the other deities located in this temple complex.
The temples at Thirunageswaram
ThirunageswaramThirunageswaram
Thirunageswaram is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thirunageswaram is located 8 km east of Kumbakonam.-Demographics:...
is located 8 km east of Kumbakonam. There are two major temples at Thirunageswaram. One the famous Vaishnavaite temple of Oppliyappan (Oppliyappan Sannadhi)(the Venkatesh Perumal of Tirupathi), the other the ThiruNageswarar or NagaNathaswami (Naga in Tamil/Sanskrit means Snake and Natha means God) temple for Shaivaites.
An important rite of this temple is that of Rahu
Rahu
In Hindu mythology, Rahu is a cut-off head of an asura, that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses. He is depicted in art as a serpent with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. Rahu is one of the navagrahas in Vedic astrology...
bhagawan sannathi where milk abhishekham is performed daily during Rahukaalam
Rahukaalam
Rahukaalam or the period of Rahu is a certain amount of time every day that is considered inauspicious for any new venture according to Indian astrology ....
. At this time, milk that is poured on the statue is supposed to turn blue when it passes over the body, and back to white after it reaches the floor. This is watched by many daily during the raahu kaalam. This is also the only place wherein one can view Rahu bhagawan with his consorts.
Pateeswaram temple
Sri Thenupureeswarar temple at Pateeswaram, 5 km south-east of Kumbakonam, was constructed during the 16th century by Govinda Dikshithar, a Minister of Nayak King Acchathappa.Airavatesvara Temple
Darasuram
Darasuram or Dharasuram is a panchayat town located 3 kilometres from Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India. According to the 2001 census, the town had a population of 13,027. The town is known for the Airavateswara temple constructed by the Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century AD...
, 4 km west of Kumbakonam is Airvatesvara (Airavat is the holy white elephant) Temple, constructed by Rajaraja Chola II
Rajaraja Chola II
Rajaraja Chola II succeeded his father Kulothunga Chola II to the Chola throne in 1150 C.E. He was made his heir apparent and coregent in 1146 C.E and so the inscriptions of Rajaraja II count his reign from 1146 C.E...
(1146–63), is a superb example of 12th-century Chola architecture. Many statues were removed to the art gallery in the Thanjavur Palace, but have since been returned. The remarkable structures depict, among other things, Shiva as Kankala-murti - the mendicant. Stories from epics and Hindu mythology are depicted. Adjoining the Airavatesvara temple is the Deiva Nayaki Ambal temple.
In 2004 the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
(ASI) excavated and restored the temple.
Navagraha Temples
The area surrounding Kumbakonam is home to a set of Navagraha temples datingfrom the Chola period.
Swamimalai temple
The Lord Murugan temple is located in Swami Malai, which is around 10 km from kumbakonam. It is located on the main road connecting Kumbakonam and Thanjavur. It is one among the six famous temples(Arupadai Veedu) of Lord Muruga. This is the place where the Lord murugan in childhood taught the meaning of mandra "OM" to his father Lord Siva. Lord Murugas Fourth home.Thiruvalanjuzhi Vinayakar Temple
This siva temple is famous for vinayakar sculpture which has been carved from white foam while churning the milky sea. So the name of the god in Tamil is "Vellai pillayar" meaning that "White vinayakar". This temple is located in small village "Thiruvalansuzi" which is 4 km from Kumbakonam and 2 km from Swamimalai. The name "Thiruvalansuzi" has come because the Cauvery river prayed the lord Siva by doing pradhaksana from right hand side to left hand side. (Usually it will be left to right). The name for lord Siva in this temple is "Sadai mudi nathar".Sri Vijayeendra Tirtha Moola Brindavanam
We can find the moola brindavanam of Sri Vijayeendra Tirtha (Raghavendra Swamy guru's guru) here.It is in Solaiyappan Street. The great Vijayeendra Tirtha's Aradhana falls on Jyeshta Trayodashi. He was one of the greatest scholar what India has produced. He was a staunch Vishnu bhakta and a great philosopher. He was an exponent of 64 vidyas.
Sri Sitaram Bhavani Sankarar Temple
We can find this temple in Solaiyappan street on the banks of the Cavery river (Nangam Thirunal Padithurai). This private temple is supposed to be more than 250 years old. In this temple the deities Sri Rama, Shiva(sankara) in the form of Bhana lingam and Parvathi(Bhavani) are in separate sannithis. Rama, lakshmana, sita and hanuman are made of marbles. This ramar (called Solaiappan Agraharam Ramaswamy) is one of the twelve deities in the Akshya thirthi celebrations in Kumbakonam.Sri Rama Bhajanai Sabha
Sri Rama Bhajanai Sabha founded and nurtured by Venuganam Sri Sarabha SastriSarabha Sastri
Sri Sarabha Sastri was an Indian flute player, known as the first great Brahmin flutist.Sri Sarabha Sastrigal was born in 1872 to Viswanatha Sastri and Smt. Dharmambal...
about 125 years ago. It is in Solaiappan Street. Every year sabha celebrates Sri Rama Navami Utasavam and Sri Radha Kalyana Mahotsavam and committed to its various cultural and religious needs of the Hindu society with the grace of Lord Rama.
Thirbuvanan Sarabeswarer Temple
Sri.Kambakareswarar is the main deity,Sarabeswarer, a form of ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
is the presiding deity of the temple. Particularly worshiping at 4.30-6.00 pm[RAHU KAALAM] on Sundays is special.