Divya Darshan 360
Nathan Kovil
Photo: Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous temples · Tamil Nadu

Nathan Kovil

Vishnu as Jagannathan, one of the 108 Divya Desams near Kumbakonam

Checked 19 Oct 2026 with 4 sources2 min read

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Getting there

  • By air

    Tiruchirappalli International Airport is the nearest commercial airport to Kumbakonam, the town from which the temple is reached.

  • By train

    Kumbakonam railway station has daily express trains to Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli.

  • By road

    The temple is about eight kilometres from Kumbakonam, according to a news report. It is reached via Korukkai, from Patteeswaram, and sits amid paddy fields and coconut groves.

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Why devotees come here

Nathan Kovil is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu shrines held sacred by Vaishnavites. Vishnu is worshipped here as Jagannathan, with Lakshmi as Shenbagavalli. The temple lies in a village on the outskirts of Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.

Legend says the place took its name from Nandi, the bull of Shiva. Nandi got his curse lifted by worshipping Vishnu here, and the village became known as Nandipuram. Another version says Nandi once showed no respect to Vishnu's gatekeepers.

The temple is also called Sundara Chola Vinnagaram, after the Chola king Sundara Chola (957 to 970 CE), who made contributions to it. Later, Vijayaranga Chokkappa Nayak of the Thanjavur Nayaks added his contributions.

It is built in the Dravidian style. A three-tier gateway tower, the rajagopuram, carries colourful sculptures of the ten avatars of Vishnu. In the main sanctum stands an image of Nandi, which is usually found only in Shiva temples. A vimanam, the tower over the sanctum, rises above it. Thayar, the consort of Vishnu, has a separate niche of her own.

Festivals

  • Akshaya TritiyaAkshaya Tritiya

    The festival deity is taken in procession around the temple on a Garuda mount. Devotees gather in large numbers to watch.

  • Every JulyPavitrotsavam

    Organised in the temple by Karimaran Kalai Kappagam of Triplicane, Chennai.

Tips for your visit

  • Devotees believe Fridays in the Tamil month of Aipasi are auspicious for worshipping Shenbagavalli.
  • Other prominent nearby shrines include the Thenupuriswarar Temple at Patteeswaram, which is on the way from Kumbakonam.

Darshan at home

Not in the app yet

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

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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 is worshipped at Nathan Kovil?

Vishnu, worshipped as Jagannathan, with his consort Lakshmi as Shenbagavalli. The main sanctum also holds an image of Nandi.

Why is the village called Nandipuram?

Legend says Nandi, the bull of Shiva, was freed of his curse by worshipping Vishnu here, and the village took its name from that story.

Is Nathan Kovil one of the 108 Divya Desams?

Yes. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples sacred to Vaishnavites.

Is there a separate shrine for the consort?

Yes. Thayar has a separate niche in the temple.

What does the gateway tower look like?

The rajagopuram has three tiers and colourful sculptures of the ten avatars of Vishnu.

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. Nathan Kovil, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  2. Divyadesam and Nandi connection, The Hindu thehindu.com
  3. Grand Garuda Sevai marks Akshaya Tritiya, The Hindu thehindu.com
  4. Kumbakonam, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org

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