Avinashiappar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Coimbatore International Airport is the nearest airport, about 32 km from the town.

• By train

  The nearest railway station is at Tirupur, about 12 km away.

• By road

  The town is off National Highway NH544, which bypasses it.

Why devotees come here

Avinashiappar Temple stands in Avinashi, a municipality in Tiruppur district, Tamil Nadu. The main sanctum is Avinasiappar's, and Ambal's sanctum sits to its right, unlike in most temples. It is one of the seven Shivastalams of Kongu Nadu.

Inscriptions in Avinashi refer to the town as Dakshina Varanasi and Tiruppukkozhiyur. The temple is also known as Karunaiyaaththaal temple, and it is regarded as the first of the seven Thevara Stalams in the Kongu region. Avinashi is a taluk headquarters and the headquarters of the Avinashi panchayat union.

Legend says two boys went to bathe in a tank, and a crocodile came out and devoured one of them. Sundaramoorthy Nayanar was moved by the loss and prayed to Shiva to bring the dead child back to life. The saint had come to Avinashi on his way to meet Cheramaan Peruman.

The temple's Kasi Gangai Theertham, a tank in the form of a well, is considered significant. A Kaalabhairavar shrine here is also held in reverence. The annual Brahmotsavam is celebrated in the month of Chittirai, and the car festival is the most exciting of the temple's festivals.

Festivals

• Chittirai monthBrahmotsavam

  The annual festival of the temple, celebrated in the month of Chittirai. The temple car used in it is the second biggest in South India, noted for its fine wooden carvings.

Tips for your visit

• Government and private buses are the main public transport in Avinashi.
• Avinashi is a major halt for vehicles travelling to Chennai and Cochin from western Tamil Nadu.
• Visit the Kaalabhairavar shrine, where devotees make offerings of vadai maalai.

Questions people ask