Kumbakonam – Thiruppananthal (Anaikkarai – Chennai)

Koranattu Karuppur Shiva temple and Pettikali Amman

This is located 3 kms from kumbakonam in the Chennai highway. Main deity – Sundareswarar with Abhirami Ammai.A big box containing a beautiful half portion (hip to head) wooden image of the goddess kali, now being called Pettaikali Amman, with eight hands which was floating on the river Cauvery, drifted ashore here. She is kept in the temple and being worshipped. The box is opened only once in a year with all rituals.

Brahma installed a Sivalinga in a dense forest (vana) containing Pathiri tree (hence the name Padala Vanam) and worshipped the Lord daily. He was blessed with Gnana Upadesa (initiation into the mysteries of wisdom) by the Lord.

Agasthiyar, Vakkilliyar, Kanva and the other sages worshipped the deity. Indra came with his Iravatha (white colour elephant) and worshipped the deity. He got deliverance from a curse on the full Moon day of Chithirai (Tamil calendar month)

Vishnu Temple, Thiruvelliankudi

This is located 15 kms from Kumbakonam; 9 kms to Kovilachery on the Chennai Highway and then 6 kms diversion to the east. Main deity – Kolavizhi Ramar in sleeping posture with Maragadha Valli Thayar.

Celestial sculptor Viswakarma had created many divya desams but the sculptor of Asuras Maya was longing that he never got a chance to build such a temple. So he did penance and got the dharshan of Maha Vishnu with sanku and chakra here. But he wanted the dharshan of Vishnu in Sri Rama Kolam. So Maha Vishnu gave away his Sangu and Chakra to Garuda momentarily and gave dharshan as Kolavizhi Raman with bow and arrow.

Sukra (Navagraha God of Venus, Velli, Friday) worshipped here, the place is called Velliangudi.Brahma, Indra and Saint Parasara Markandeyan and Bhoomidevi have worshipped Vishnu of this place. It is considered that visiting this holy place is equivalent to visiting all the 108 divya desams. Only in this temple, Garudazhwar has four hands with Sangu and Chakra. Vaishnava navagraha place for Sukran.

Kumbakonam – Kathiramangalam (Poompuhar)

The Kumbakonam – Poompuhar road goes along the northern bank of Cauvery river and pass through the outskirts of Mayiladuthurai.

Shiva temple, Thiruvisanallur (Thiruviyalur)

This is located 8 kms from Kumbakonam enroute Veppathur. Main deity – Sivayoga nadhar, Yoganandeswarar, Vilvaranyeswarar with Soundara nayangi, Santhanayagi. This place was a vilva forest at one time and hence he is also called Vilvaranyeswarar. This is the temple for Rishabaha Rasi. People bon under Rishabha rasi are recommended to visit the temple regularly.There are four Bairavas in one place.

The four Bairavas (Gnana, Swarna akarshana, Unmattha and yoga Bairavas) each representing the four phases or four Ashramasin the life span of the human being is famous here.

Lighting oil lamps with black pepper on eight consecutive Sundays during Rahu period 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm at Bairavar’s Sannidhi (sanctum) results in getting back lost property and wealth.

There is also a shrine for Lakshmi and Narayanar which is a rare. Vishnu and Lakshmi got the blessings of Shiva here for their marriage. Worshipping Lakshmi Narayanan on Shravan star ekadasi and Saturday is considered a specific event.

Sridhara Ayyaval’s Mutt

Sridhara Ayyaval’s mutt is in this village. There are many miracles incidents in his life.

Karkadeswarar Temple, Thirunanadhudevankudi (Nandaan Koil)

This is located 10 kms from Kumbakonam; 2 kms from Thiruvisainallur. Main deity – Swayambulinga known as Karkadeswarar. Devadevesar east facing with Arumarundhanayaki Ammai, Aravindanayagi. Crab worshipped Shiva here and hence the name Karkata. This temple is nowadays as Nandaankoil. The original name Thirunandu (meaning crab) devankudi has become Thirunandhudevanudi.

The image of a golden crab as well as the hole created by it can be seen on the Shivalingam during the rituals. The temple is fairly big surrounded by a moat called Thirumaruvum Poihai in the midst of green fields. There are only paddy fields as far as you can see. There are two shrines for Ambal here, Arumarundu Nayagi and Apoorva Nayagi.

The idol of Arumarundu Nayagi was once stolen and a replacement idol was installed but within a day of installing the new idol, the stolen idol was recovered. Hence the original idol then came to be known as Apoorva Nayaki. Chandran in this place is in yoga posture and this is a Chandra (fault) remedy place.

The Shivalingam has the mark of a cut on its face. The Ambal in this temple is called as Arumarundha Nayaki, meaning the goddess or rare medicines. The oil applied to the Goddess is considered very special to cue many diseases.

Shiva Temple, Thirumangalakkudi

This is located 2 kms from Aaduthurai; 15 kms from Kumbakonam; 8 kms from Thiruppanadhal. Main deity – Swayambulinga Prananadheswarar east facing with Mangalambika Amman south facing.

Thirumangalakudi is known as Panchamangala Kshetra. The name of the place is Mangalakudi. The goddess is Mangalambika. The tower is Mangala Vimanam. The holy water is Mangala Theertham. The Vinayaka is Mangala Vinayaka. Everything in the temple is but Mangala means prosperity. All dhoshams (fault) will be cleared off by visiting this temple.

There is no special place for the Navagrahas here. It is believed that the Navagrahas in the nearby Navagraha temple Suriyanar temple are the ones belonging to this temple. This is the place where Navagrahas themselves worshipped and got rid of their sins. So devotees set to Suriyanar temple should visit this temple first to complete their worship. There are two Nataraja Sannidhis (sanctum) here. The Lord has three faces representing human, animal and birds, a rare one that not found in other temples.

Thirukoteeswarar Temple, Thirukkodikka / Maharajapuram

It is about 5 kms from Suryanar temple (Navagraha place for Sun God) and 2 kms from Kanjanoor (Sukhra place on the east) and 5 kms west of Kuttalam town. Main deity – Swayambulingam known as Thirukodeeswarar or Kodikanathar with Vadivambikgai or Thiripurasundari Amman.

Ganesha of this place is known as Karaiatrum Vinayakar. Chitragupta and yama have separate sanctums here. Multitudes of Gods (Koti) are said to have worshipped at this shrine beautified by countless gardens (Kavu) and hence the name Kotikka.

Vishnu Durga Temple, Maharajapuram

Maharajapuram is the native place of music maestros late Viswanathaiyar and his son late Santhanam. Per legend, this temple was set up by Durvasa to guard 1, 00, 000 Shivalingams in 3 miles radius present underground.

Baskararajapuram

Baskararajapuram is situated on the bank of river Cauvery at 1 km from Kathiramangalam. This was gifted to the great saint and Sri Vidya Upasakar Sri Baskararayar by king Sarfoji of Thanjavur.

The saint enriched Sri Vidya Upasana by his unique Bashyam on Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam. He is considered by the Sri Vidya Upasakas as the very embodiment of Sri Lalitha Thirupura Sundari. ‘Varivasya rahasyam’ is another gem he as gifted to the Shakta Upasakas. In the year 2004 a fitting memorial was built for this great saint.

Vanadurgai temple, Kathiramangalam

The temple is located at 25 kms from Kumbakonam and 14 kms from Mayiladuthurai in the Mayiladuthurai – Kumbakonam route (via Vanathirajapuram)

The presiding deity is Shri Vanadurga Parameswari Amman. The Amman idol is 6 feet high and gigantic. It is believed that she visits Kasi during the nights and come back to this temple every morning 8:00 AM.

This is the remedy temple for those born in Mirugaseerisha star.The pooja in this temple is held during Rahu Kalam.

Shiva temple, Ammachatram

This is located 5 kms from Kumbakonam; 2 kms before Thirubhuvanam.Ammachatram is an ancient village mentioned as ‘Bairavapuram’ in ‘Bavishyotta puranam’ and later was called as ‘Sakkuvambalpuram’ or ‘Ammani Ammal Chatiram’ and presently as ‘Amma Chatiram’. Main deity Saptha Rishiwarar with Ambal Gnanambigai.

This temple contains five lingams (including moolavar), Vinayakar, Dhakshnamurthi, Murugan, Mahalakshmi, Lingothbavar, Vishnu, Durga, Chandikeswarar, Kalabairavar, Saneeswarar, Sun, Moon. The full moon Ashtami pooja for Kalabairavar is very familiar for its great power of solving the problems and giving remedies to life.

In Bavishyatta Purana, this is a kalabairavar Sthalam and this place is mentioned as a sin relieving place, as powerful as Kasi (Varanasi) because the Kalabairavar who is blessing here will give protection from all the eight directions. Worship here is considered to give the brilliance and stability to withstand the Karma (rites) in life.