Panchavarnaswamy Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Tiruchirappalli Airport is about 5 km from the city.

• By train

  Trichy Junction is a major junction of the Southern Railway, with direct trains to Chennai, Ernakulam, Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi.

• By road

  Trichy is connected by National Highways, State Highways and Major District Roads. The city sits at the junction of NH 45 and NH 67.

Why devotees come here

Panchavarnaswamy Temple stands in Woraiyur, also spelt Uraiyur, a neighbourhood of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped here as Panchavarnaswamy, the name said to mean he shows five colours. It is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalam shrines praised in the Tevaram.

Shiva is the presiding deity, called Panchavarnaswamy. The name is believed to refer to Shiva showing five colours. Legend says Shiva appeared to the sage Udanga in five colours, one in each part of the day. Another legend says the serpent king Nagaraja carried five lingams, and they merged into one presiding deity here.

The deity is revered in the Tevaram, a 7th century Tamil Saiva work by the Nayanar saint poets, and the temple is classed as a Paadal Petra Sthalam. Eight historical inscriptions in the temple are recorded by Epigraphy India as 181 to 188 of 1907. One, from the fourth year of a Chola king, records a gift of a village for the temple's upkeep.

The complex has three prakarams, or outer courtyards, and a five-tiered rajagopuram gateway tower. The central shrine faces east and holds a granite lingam of Panchavarnaswamy. The temple calendar also lists three yearly festivals, in addition to its daily and monthly observances.

Festivals

• AnnualSrivari Brahmotsavam

  The prime festival of the temple. Hundreds of thousands of devotees attend.

• Monthly, such as amavasai (new moon day) and pournami (full moon day)Monthly festivals

  Kiruthigai and sathurthi are also observed each month.

Tips for your visit

• Weekly rituals are held on Monday (somavaram) and Friday (sukravaram), so plan a visit on one of those days if you want to see them.
• Fortnightly rituals include pradosham.

Questions people ask