Mayuranathaswami Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Tiruchirappalli is the nearest airport, about 134 km from the temple.

• By train

  Mayiladuthurai railway junction is the nearest station, 2 km from the temple.

• By road

  The temple complex is connected by a road network that includes NH-32 and state highways. Mayiladuthurai town is about 39 km from Kumbakonam.

Why devotees come here

Mayuranathaswami Temple stands in the heart of Mayiladuthurai town in Tamil Nadu, about a kilometre south of the Kaveri river. It is the thirty-ninth shrine on the southern bank of the Kaveri, and the town takes its name from it.

Legend says Parvati came to this place as a peahen, which is mayura in Sanskrit, and so Shiva is praised here as Mayuranathar. It is believed that Parvati was finally relieved of a curse at this temple and regained her original form as Abhayambika.

The temple is counted among the temples built on the banks of the Kaveri. It is believed to have been built in the 7th century CE, when the Tamil Shaiva poet-saints Appar and Sambandar composed hymns here. Later, Sembiyan Mahadevi renovated the original brick temple with stone during the reign of Uttama Chola.

The main gopuram, the gateway tower, measures 194 feet. It has a granite base and brick upper tiers. An expansive temple tank lies in the centre of the complex. The temple sits in the heart of the town, close to the Kaveri.

Festivals

• Aippasi (October to November)Theerthavari

  A thirty-day festival with processions held every day.

• Aippasi (October to November)Thula Snanam

  A ritual bath in the Cauvery river that draws pilgrims from across India.

• Vaikasi (May to June)Brahmotsavam

  A festival celebrated in Vaikasi.

Tips for your visit

• During Tula, from mid-October to mid-November, the processional image is taken to the Kaveri every day.
• The Kaveri lies about a kilometre north of the temple, so a riverbank visit is close by.
• Plan around the Aippasi bathing days if you want to join the river rituals.

Questions people ask