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Kodeeswarar Temple
Photo: Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous temples · Tamil Nadu

Kodeeswarar Temple

Shiva as Koteeswarar, a Paadal Petra Sthalam near Kumbakonam

Checked 19 Oct 2026 with 3 sources2 min read

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Getting there

  • By air

    The nearest commercial airport is Tiruchirappalli International Airport, about 91 km away.

  • By train

    Kumbakonam railway station gives rail connections across South India, including direct services.

  • By road

    Regular buses run from Kumbakonam to Chennai, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and Salem.

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Why devotees come here

Kodeeswarar Temple stands in Kottaiyur village, on the western outskirts of Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district. Shiva is worshipped here as Koteeswarar, and the temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam shrines praised in the Tevaram poems.

Kodeeswarar Temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam shrines, Shiva temples praised in the early medieval Tevaram poems by the Saivite saint Tirunavukkarasar. The temple's HR&CE history also records that the saint Arunagirinathar sang its praises. Legend says the cursed prince Suruchi regained his original form after he prayed to Shiva and took a holy dip in the spring inside the temple.

Another legend says Shiva appeared to the sage Herandar here in countless forms, as Koteeswarar of Kottaiyur. Brahma, other gods and the sage Markandeya are said to have worshipped at this place.

Kumbakonam holds the Mahamaham festival once in 12 years, and this temple is one of the 12 Shiva temples in the town connected with it. According to the HR&CE history, Pallava and Chola kings built the temple. It has a rectangular plan with two courtyards covering about one acre, and a five-tiered gateway tower facing east. The Navagraha images are unusual because each planet is shown with its own chariot. Each spine on the Shiva lingam is itself a small lingam. The temple's kumbabishegam, the consecration ceremony, was held on 26 October 2015.

Festivals

  • February or MarchShivaratri

    One of the temple's festivals.

  • September or OctoberArrow festival

    The most prominent festival of the temple, held in the Tamil month of Purattasi.

Tips for your visit

  • The Navagraha images are unique, with each planet shown with its own chariot.
  • The temple has two courtyards covering about one acre, with a five-tiered gateway tower facing east.
  • Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, a 12th-century temple, is about 3 km from here.

Darshan at home

Not in the app yet

Kodeeswarar Temple is not in the Divya Darshan 360 app yet. These Famous temples temples are, with darshan videos you can watch at home:

In the appChamundeshwari Temple, MysuruChamundi Hill, Mysuru, KarnatakaIn the appDakshineswar Kali Temple, KolkataDakshineswar, North 24 Parganas, near Kolkata, West BengalIn the appShirdi Sai Baba Temple, MaharashtraShirdi, Rahata taluka, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra
Get the appAndroid

The app is free, Android only. For darshan as if you are standing there, see the VR box (₹899, or ₹949 cash on delivery).

Questions people ask

Who sang hymns about Kodeeswarar Temple?

Tirunavukkarasar and Arunagirinathar. The temple's HR&CE history records that both sang its praises.

Who built Kodeeswarar Temple?

According to the HR&CE temple history, Pallava and Chola kings built it.

Is the temple linked to the Mahamaham festival?

Yes. Twelve Shiva temples in Kumbakonam, this one among them, are connected with the Mahamaham festival, which is held once in 12 years.

How we checked this page

On 19 Oct 2026 we checked every fact on this page against these sources, official ones first. Anything we could not confirm is left out.

  1. Arulmigu Kodeeswaraswamy Temple history, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (Government of Tamil Nadu) hrce.tn.gov.in
  2. Arulmigu Kodeeswaraswamy Temple pooja timings, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (Government of Tamil Nadu) hrce.tn.gov.in
  3. Kodeeswarar Temple, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org

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