Ancient Temples of Tamilnadu from Chola Heartlands to the Fires of Lingothbavar a popular avatar of lord shiva



TEMPLES THAT I VISITED NEAR TIRUCHIRAPPALLI, KUMBAKONAM, AND THIRUVANNAMALAI

1. THANJAVUR brihadeeswara temple

Tamil Nadu is home to many magnificent temples, each with its unique architecture, deities, and historical significance. Among all the temples I visited, I was particularly fascinated by the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, also known as Thanjai Periya Kovil. "The temple’s sculptures are breathtaking and truly marvelous. It was built by Raja Raja Chola."




"Another incredible temple is the Airavateswarar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is renowned for its intricate architecture, particularly the unique staircase that produces musical notes corresponding to different ragas. It holds both historical and artistic significance, much like the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple built by Rajendra Chola."


this is a picture of me standing beside the nandi of the famous brihadeshwara temple also known as the thanjai periya koil



2. SARANGAPANI TEMPLE, KUMBAKONAM – ONE OF THE DIVYADESAMS

Another fascinating temple is the Sarangapani Temple, located in the town of Kumbakonam, near Tiruchirappalli. This temple is unique and mysterious as it is believed that Lord Vishnu arrived here with his entire army and chariots. One of the most astonishing features of this temple is the beautifully carved sculptures of an elephant and a horse, made entirely from rock. This is what makes Sarangapani Temple is truly remarkable for this 





3. SRIRANGAM TEMPLE – ANOTHER DIVYADESAM IN TIRUCHIRAPPALLI

Srirangam is one of the Divyadesams and is considered the most important of all South Indian Vishnu temples. It is often referred to as the Tirupati of South Tamil Nadu. This ancient temple is renowned for its magnificent architecture and holds the tallest gopuram among all the temples in Tamil Nadu. It is also called the Vaikuntam of the South, symbolizing its spiritual significance .


this is me standing outside the gopuram of sri rangam


Its located in the Trichy district of tamil nadu
It is also believed that andal a devotee of vishnu married him here in sri rangam 


4. THIRUVANNAMALAI – SRI ANNAMALAYAR TEMPLE

Thiruvannamalai, located in the Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu, is famous for the Annamalaiyar Temple. This temple is one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, representing the element of fire. It is a popular pilgrimage site, attracting large numbers of sadhus and devotees.

During Pournami (full moon night), thousands of devotees visit Tiruvannamalai to perform Girivalam, a sacred ritual where they walk around the Annamalai Hill. It is believed that the mountain itself is a manifestation of Lord Shiva. Along this path, there are several Lingam shrines, each representing a different direction:

  1. Indra Lingam
  2. Agni Lingam
  3. Yama Lingam
  4. Nirudhi Lingam
  5. Varuna Lingam
  6. Vayu Lingam
  7. Kubera Lingam
  8. Easanya Lingam



5. SWAMIMALAI – SRI SWAMINATHA SWAMY TEMPLE

Swamimalai is one of the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan, also known as Arupadai Veedu. The deity of this temple is called Swaminatha Swami. Located near Kumbakonam, it is considered the third house of Lord Murugan.

It is believed that Lord Murugan gave knowledge to lord shiva regarding the vedas over here that is why he is called as swaminatha swamy over here unfortunately i wasn't able to take any pictures over here so i am not putting a picture for this temple .

6. THIRUVANAIKAVAL – SRI JAMBUKESHWARAR TEMPLE

Thiruvanaikaval Temple, also known as Jambukeswarar Temple, is another Pancha Bhoota Stalam, representing the element of water. The name"Jambu" it also a part of the story related to the kalahasti temple  is derived from the name jamun tree. This temple is located in Tiruchirappalli, is famous for its stunning carvings and spiritual significance and it is also related to the element of water in fact the lingam is said to be covered with a pool of water with no source at all this is the beauty of the temple 

This is me standing outside the temple

Each of these temples has unique carvings based on intricate designs, motifs, and architectural styles, making every temple in Tamil Nadu distinct.

For instance, the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur features carvings depicting various forms of Lord Shiva. One such form is Ardhanarishwara, where Shiva embodies both masculine and feminine aspects, symbolizing the unity of Shiva and Shakti because a devotee of shiva called bhringi wanted to worship shiva alone and excluded shakti. Another unique depiction is Veerabhadra, a fierce form of Shiva, shown wielding weapons.

The story behind this goes like this: Once, Daksha, a king and also the son of Brahma, gave his daughter Sati in marriage to Shiva because Sati  wanted shiva more than anyone else even bramha too advised daksha to give her in marriage to shiva but Daksha's wish was other than shiva she could marry someone else .

Later, Daksha attended a yagna orchestrated by Brahma, where the devas welcomed him with due respect—except for Lord Shiva, who remained seated in stillness. Daksha felt insulted that, while all the other devas stood and greeted him, Shiva neither stood nor acknowledged him. What Daksha had forgotten was that it was by Shiva’s blessings that he had children in the first place. Moreover, Shiva is Mahadev—the Lord of the Devas. In reality, it should have been the other way around; Daksha and the devas should have acknowledged Shiva, given his divine nature. Failing to do so would only bring doom upon them. However, instead of realizing this, Daksha perceived Shiva’s behavior as an affront. He failed to see the consequences of his own arrogance. This chapter is a crucial part of the Shiva Purana because, despite always aiding the devas in their struggles against the asuras, Shiva was disrespected by Daksha. Due to Daksha's ignorance, the devas, too, forgot Shiva’s true nature as Mahadev—the one who had always stood by them in times of need. This mistake led to their downfall; their kingdom and positions were taken by the asuras. Only when they faced defeat did they pray to Shiva for help.

In response, Shiva agreed to assist them, but this ultimately led to his marriage with Parvati. From this divine union, Kartikeya was born. In Tamil Nadu, he is known as Muruga or Murugan, while in Sanskrit, he is called Skanda. That, however, is another story that I will add later.

This is the story of Veerabhadra, an avatar of Lord Shiva.

Veerabhadra, a fierce form of Shiva, shown wielding weapons.

The story behind this goes like this: Once, Daksha, a king and also the son of Brahma, gave his daughter Sati in marriage to Shiva because Sati wanted shiva more than anyone else even bramha too advised daksha to give her in marriage to shiva but Daksha's wish was other than shiva she could marry someone else but later due to the the advice of brahma he conceded to her request 


Later, Daksha attended a yagna orchestrated by Brahma, where the devas welcomed him with due respect—except for Lord Shiva, who remained seated in stillness. Daksha felt insulted that, while all the other devas stood and greeted him, Shiva neither stood nor acknowledged him. What Daksha had forgotten was that it was by Shiva’s blessings that he had children in the first place. Moreover, Shiva is Mahadev—the Lord of the Devas. In reality, it should have been the other way around; Daksha and the devas should have acknowledged Shiva, given his divine nature. Failing to do so would only bring doom upon them. However, instead of realizing this, Daksha perceived Shiva’s behavior as an affront. He failed to see the consequences of his own arrogance. This chapter is a crucial part of the Shiva Purana because, despite always aiding the devas in their struggles against the asuras, Shiva was disrespected by Daksha. Due to Daksha's ignorance, the devas, too, forgot Shiva’s true nature as Mahadev—the one who had always stood by them in times of need. This mistake led to their downfall; their kingdom and positions were taken by the asuras. Only when they faced defeat did they pray to Shiva for help.

After the yagna was completed, Daksha decided to perform his own grand yagna, inviting the Trimurti's, but deliberately excluding Lord Shiva. He orchestrated it with the support of the other devas and invited all the other divine beings from all corners of the world—except for Shiva. Sati, witnessing this, approached Daksha and asked, "Why haven't you invited me and my husband?" Daksha responded by insulting Shiva, saying that he roamed with snakes, slept in graveyards, and was unworthy of respect. Deeply hurt by this insult, Sati sacrificed herself by immolating.

When Shiva realized what had happened, he was overcome with rage. He took a lock of his hair and dashed it to the ground, from which the fearsome avatars Veerabhadra and Bhadrakali were born. Shiva commanded them, along with his followers, to storm the yagna. In the ensuing battle, they beheaded Daksha and fiercely fought the devas who had supported him in fact it is said that they also killed those devas who came in support of daksha and there was a total bloodbath as well in the end the all those devas who were still alive had to go and seek lord shiva's forgiveness in the end shiva himself came to the yagna and he managed to reattach Daksha's body with the head of a goat to remind him of all the atrocities he had committed

Additionally, Bhairava, known as Kalabhairava in Tamil Nadu, is depicted in battle against the demon Andhaka. According to legend, Andhaka was born by Shiva’s grace but later became a formidable adversary due to his anger toward the devas. The truth is that Andhaka was smitten by Devi parvati  when he reached Kashi to attack the devas. There, he encountered a hermit—who was none other than Shiva himself. In response, Shiva unleashed his fury and transformed into Bhairava, his most fearsome form, which he assumes only when he is extremely enraged.

Bhairava is described as terrifying—even feared by the devas themselves. He is depicted with unbound hair, his third eye blazing with wrath, a black dog by his side, and a sword and trishula (trident) in his grasp. Snakes coil around his body, and flames engulf him. Eventually, Andhaka and Bhairava clashed in battle, resulting in the destruction of Andhaka's army. Defeated, Andhaka pleaded for mercy, leading Shiva to spare his life and make him his lieutenant.








8 .Suryanar Temple, Kumbakonam

The Suryanar Temple is dedicated to Lord Surya and is located in the district of Kumbakonam. This temple is unique because there are very few temples dedicated to Lord Surya. In fact, apart from this temple, the most famous Sun temple is the Konark Sun Temple in Bhubaneswar.

What makes the Suryanar Temple even more special is that it features different shrines dedicated to each of the planetary deities in Hindu astrology. These include Surya himself, as well as Shani (Saturn), Guru (Jupiter), Rahu, and Ketu—all of whom are part of the Navagrahas (the nine planets). This unique aspect adds to the beauty and significance of the Suryanar Temple in Kumbakonam. to tell about some  of the children of surya it is said in the puranas that he married the daughter of Vishwakarma also known as twashtar who is the builder of the gods named Sanjana she in turn married surya and gave birth to 4 children namely vaivasvata manu then yama the god of death the rivers tapti and yamuna she wasn't able to take on the brightness of surya himself being the wife of him so she went to her father and she told him about this then he said that you go back to surya himself then she decided to go somewhere and start to meditate on surya before that she gave life to her own shadow and called it Chaya  too meaning a shadow version of herself surya didn't know about this as he was unaware of this the shadow version of her eventually began to settle down and she also gave birth to children namely savarni manu then shani himself eventually she showed favouritism towards these two sons and ignored the 4 of them namely yama vaivasvata manu then tapti and yamuna eventually yama tried to ask her why she was showing favouritism towards both savarni manu and shani in return she cursed the three of them saying yama would lose a leg then both tapti and yamuna would later become rivers yama then goes and he tells surya about this eventually surya threatens to curse her and he finds out about sanjana and he goes to vishwakarma and asks him to lessen his brightness eventually he uses a device to make him a circle then he goes and he finds sanjana in the form of a horse and he too becomes a horse to speak to her and they both reconcile and come back to each other eventually she gives birth to 3 other sons namely asra and nasya who later on become the Ashwini kumaras or the physicians of the devas then revanta another son of lord surya he is said to always ride uchaishravas a notable horse that came out of the ocean when the devas led by Indra and the asuras led by Mahabali  churned the ocean during the samudramanthana this is the story of surya  

Here are the nine planetary deities worshiped in the temple:

  • Surya (also known as the Sun)
  • Chandra (also known as the Moon)
  • Sevvai (also known as Mars)
  • Budhan (also known as Mercury)
  • Vyalan (also known as Jupiter)
  • Velli (also known as Venus)
  • Shani (also known as Saturn)
  • Rahu and kethu ( representing the lunar and solar nodes of the planets ) 

9 .Thirunageshwaram

Thirunageshwaram is a temple dedicated to Rahu. According to Hindu mythology, Rahu and Ketu were once Asuras (demons) who participated in the Samudra Manthanam (churning of the ocean) to obtain Amrita—the nectar of immortality. However, Lord Vishnu, disguised as Mohini, tricked the Asuras and distributed the nectar only to the Devas (gods).

Rahu, however, saw through the deception and disguised himself as a Deva to drink the nectar. But before he could consume it fully, Surya (the Sun) and Chandra (the Moon) alerted Vishnu. In response, Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to behead Rahu. Since he had already consumed part of the nectar, he became immortal, with his severed head living on as Rahu and his body as Ketu.

Thirunageshwaram is also a Shiva temple, adding to its spiritual significance. they are represented  by the lunar nodes of the moon


10 .Thirunallar Shani Bhagavan Temple

The Thirunallar temple is dedicated to Shani Bhagavan (Lord Saturn). He is regarded as the Lord of Justice, ensuring that karma is repaid fairly. Shani Bhagavan is also known for bringing challenges and hardships to those under his influence, which is why many believe that looking at him directly may bring misfortune. Instead, devotees can view his idol indirectly or from the side. but he is also called saniswaran in tamilnadu because of this

This temple is also a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, as it was Shiva who bestowed upon Shani the role of lord of justice to him he is said to be swift in delivering justice once  being the son of surya and born to  Chaya Sanjana  he was shunned by surya for sometime that was until shiva intervened because she was a great bhakta of lord shiva eventually Shani realized this and he started to pray to lord shiva thus he became the favourite of shiva often intervening for Shani dev when he needed him more and also because he saw something in Shani dev it is said that whoever looks at him directly will have the consequence of misfortune in their life so after seeing this quality and the type of person Shani dev was more shiva gave him the role of lord of justice it is said to be such that his powers are equal to that of lord vishnu this is why he is called shanishwaran 

It is known because of 3 things he is a descendant of brahma then he is the favourite of lord shiva and because he does the same duty of vishnu  and for vishnu it is to make sure if dharma or duty starts to topple meaning order starts to decline then he will be forced to intervene but shanishwarans duty is when dharma starts to decline he is forced to take action before it comes to a halt this is the power of shani dev this is why he is equal to Bramha shiva and Vishnu thus giving him the title Shanishwara . This was the quality that Lord Shiva recognised in him and bestowed upon him this title. It said that there is only one person who has ever crossed his path and has lived to tell the tale, that is Lord Hanuman 



11. Buddhan Temple, Thiruvidaimaruthur

He is considered a son of Chandra and is also regarded as the founder of the ancient Chandravanshi dynasty. Likewise, Surya has a son called Manu, who founded the Suryavanshi dynasty. Additionally, Buddhan is considered a planet as well—also known as Mercury, the very first of the planets.

Similarly, there are two more temples that I have seen. One is a unique temple dedicated to Ganesha, where, unlike in other temples, he is depicted with a elephant head instead of this he is depicted with a human head  Another is a temple near Kuthanoor, near mayiladuthurai  it is a place near kumbakonam the temple is dedicated to the Goddess Saraswati.Also known as the goddess of knowledge these are some of the temples near kumbakonam

12. SRI  Thirukadayur AMRITHAGADESHWARAR TEMPLE

The temple is located in thirukadayur near the district of pondicherry. The temple is  dedicated to the goddess Abirami, while the presiding deity is Lord Shiva in the form of Amrithagadeshwarar. This form of Shiva is worshiped here. Likewise, there is also a shrine to Kalasamhara, a form of Shiva mainly worshiped when a person turns 60.the temple is actually dedicated to the goddess abirami and also it is believed to be the birthplace of abirami pattar and also this place is known for its Kalasamhara Murthy

The story behind Kalasamhara goes like this: Once, there was a devotee of Lord Shiva named Mirikandu, who desired a son. He prayed to Lord Shiva for this, and Shiva granted him a choice—either to have a son who would live a short life but become a great yogi or a son who would live a long life but turns out to be dumb and stupid Mirikandu chose the first option, and thus, Markandeya was born to them .

Markandeya became a great devotee of Lord Shiva and learned the scriptures at a very young age. His tutors were so proud of him that they began to worry when they learned that he was destined to die young. One day, two Brahmins visited Mirikandus house as guests. Markandeya welcomed them with great reverence, and they blessed him with a long life. However, upon learning of his fate, they realized that their blessing would not be effective. They took him to Brahmaloka, the abode of Lord Brahma, hoping he could help. Brahma also tried to grant him a longer life, but his efforts were in vane Determining that only Lord Shiva could save him, they taught Markandeya the powerful Mrityunjaya Mantra and returned him home.

Markandeya went to a Shiva temple and prayed frequently while chanting the Mrityunjaya Mantra. When the moment of his death arrived, Yama, the god of death, sent his minions to take Markandeya s soul. However, since Markandeya was deep in prayer, the temple’s Dwarapalakas (gatekeepers) prevented Yama s minions from approaching him Yama himself then arrived to carry out the task.they tried to stop yama from taking his soul As Markandeya clung to the Shiva Linga, Yama cast his noose on markandeya. At that moment, Lord Shiva emerged from the Linga knowing that his devotee was in danger, in his fury, he kicked Yama on the chest Shiva then declared that anyone who surrenders at his feet would be freed from death. He revived Yama but warned him not to touch his devotees. Finally, Lord Shiva granted Markandeya immortality it is said that he still walks as a chiranjeevi.

This is the legend of Kala Samhara Moorthy, a powerful form of Lord Shiva.

The story of Goddess Abirami revolves around a devotee named Abirami Pattar, who was deeply devoted to her. It is said that Abirami wanted to test his devotion, so she inspired him to proclaim at the king’s court that it was a full moon night, even though it was an Amavasya also known as a no moon night  The king, knowing this to be false, asked Abirami Pattar who had told him that it was a full moon night. He confidently replied that the goddess herself had declared it to him .The king then decreed that if the goddess did not make it a full moon night, Abirami Pattar would be burned to death.

Abirami Pattar prayed with unwavering faith, and in response, Goddess Abirami miraculously turned the no moon night sky into a full moon night, proving his words true. then the king who witnessed this was so sorry that he didn't believe the words of her devotee thus he told his courtiers to write about this legend

This is the legend of Goddess Abirami and the story of abirami pattar or as it is known as abirami anthathi 

 14 . Samayapuram mari amman temple 

This is a temple that is dedicated to the goddess parvati who is worshipped in the form of the mari amman who is basically the wife of lord shiva in every temple shiva temple we can always find a shrine dedicated to amman she is also considered as a guardian deity who protects her devotees from the hands of evil in every temple there is a shrine dedicated to her in fact she also is worshipped independently too throughout tamil nadu in various forms one such form of hers is mariamman who is worshipped almost everywhere in tamilnadu this is one of the famous temples in the district of trichy that is dedicated to her 

This is me standing outside the temple 

15 . Brahmapureeswarar 

This is a temple that is located near the trichy district in tamilnadu in fact this is the only temple in the district of tamilnadu that is famous for a temple that is dedicated to lord brahma this is the only temple dedicated to brahma in tamilnadu because brahma was cursed by lord shiva due to the fact that he lied to shiva that he saw the top of the pillar of fire it is attributed to another form of lord shiva called lingothbavar it is said that he took this form to test both brahma and vishnu  the result of this was he cursed brahma saying since you lied to me with evidence of a flower called thalampoo thus shiva said to bramha you will not be worshipped by anyone this is the result of the curse it went to such an extent that he also said that  the thalampoo will never be used in his worship at all in the end shiva decided to cut off brahma's fifth head that is why in all the pictures of brahma you can only find him with 4 heads rather than 5 this is the only temple in tamilnadu where he is actually worshipped 

This image was taken by me  near the brahma pureshwar temple near Trichy


These are some of the Famous temples that I have visited near Trichy and Kumbakonam 

the last time when i went to rameshwaram i actually went to a temple known as uthirakosamangai also known as the very first shiva temple in tamilnadu he is known as mangalanatha swamy over there he still worshipped with thalam poo even today too i have wrote about it in my second blog known as tracing the path of temples in tamilnadu from madurai to srivilliputhur for now let me finish it with this after some time i will come back and tell you about some new temples that i visited 

Adikumbeshwar. 


This temple that is situated in the town of Kumbakonam, famous for its maha magam connection. It is basically the origin point and this is how the town of kumbakonam got its name it is believed that when the universe was about to end Brahma the lord of creation had a dilemma as to how to restart creation so he asked lord shiva for the answer so shiva told him to take the materials required and place it in a pot then when pralaya was started the pot fell in to a crevice  filled with the items required for creation then shiva took the form of a hunter and he broke the pot thus this is how the name Kumbakonam came to be and this temple has a direct connection to the mahamaham this is the story of the temple of Adi Kumbeswarar  it is filled with many carvings and Also a very old and ancient temple too famous for the chola heritage the lingam is actually shaped like a broken pot this is one of the beauty of this temple and the devi is Mangalambigai. This legend is actually connected to a casket that shiva actually destroyed to release the essence needed for creation from Bramha this is the secret behind the Adi Kumbeshwar temple. Tomorrow, I will tell you all more about some other temples that I saw in my recent journey to Kumbakonam, there are many temples there, each of them dedicated to Shiva or Vishnu, and the best part is that there are so many different divyadesams and padal Petra sthalams 

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