Ambal Brahmapureeswarar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Tiruchirappalli International Airport is about 110 km from Thiruvarur town, roughly two and a half hours by road.

• By train

  Thiruvarur railway junction is a four-way junction connecting Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam and Thiruthuraipoondi.

• By road

  Thiruvarur town is on National Highway 45A to Villupuram and NH 67 to Coimbatore.

Why devotees come here

Ambal Brahmapureeswarar Temple stands at Ambal in Tiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, Shiva shrines praised in the Tevaram hymns. Shiva is worshipped here as Brahmapureeswarar.

The temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, Shiva shrines glorified in the early medieval Tevaram poems by the Tamil Saivite saint Tirugnanasambandar. Shiva is worshipped here as Brahmapureeswarar, and his consort Parvati as Poonguzhalammai. As per Hindu legend, Brahma was cursed by Shiva to become a swan.

Legend says Brahma was freed from that curse after a holy dip in Annam Poigai, the temple tank, before he worshipped Shiva. Ganesha in the temple is known as Patikkacupu Pillayar. Devotees believe he offered a measuring tool, a padi, to King Nantan during a famine.

The temple is believed to be the last of the sixty maadakoil, temples built by Kochengat Chola. A three-tiered rajagopuram rises over the entrance, and all the shrines are enclosed in rectangular walls.

Festivals

• Chittirai, April to MayKodabisheakam

  A named festival at this temple.

• Aippassi, October to NovemberAipassi Annabishekam

  A named festival at this temple.

• Margazhi, December to JanuaryMargazhi Tiruvathirai

  A named festival at this temple.

Tips for your visit

• Look for the three-tiered rajagopuram over the entrance.
• All the shrines are enclosed in rectangular walls.
• The temple tank is Annam Poigai.
• Legend says Brahma took a holy dip in it before he worshipped Shiva.
• Ganesha here is known as Patikkacupu Pillayar.

Questions people ask