Prananadeswarar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest commercial airport is Tiruchirappalli International Airport, 91 km from Kumbakonam. Kumbakonam is 16 km from the temple.

• By train

  Kumbakonam railway station, 16 km from the temple, provides rail connectivity across South India.

• By road

  The temple is 2 km from Aduthurai and 16 km from Kumbakonam. National highway NH-36 passes through Kumbakonam.

Why devotees come here

Prananadeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, in Thirumangalakudi village in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu. It is revered in the Tevaram hymns and classed as a Paadal Petra Sthalam, one of 275 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon. Its main deity is believed to be a self-formed lingam.

Shiva is worshipped here as Prananatheswarar, in lingam form, and his consort Parvati is worshipped as Mangala Nayagi. The main deity is believed to be a swayambu lingam, one that formed on its own. Legend says the temple was built by a minister of Kulothunga Chola, paid for with tax money he had gathered. The minister's wife prayed to Mangalambigai here to save her mangalyam, the holy tie worn by a married woman.

The oldest parts of the stone structure were built in the Chola period, in the 9th century. Later expansions, up to the Thanjavur Nayaks in the 16th century, were added over time. The temple faces east and is entered through a five-tiered gateway tower, a gopuram. Five devakoshtas cover the exterior walls of the square sanctum that holds the lingam.

The temple is one of a few in South India where Kaali Attam is performed. It is a dance that depicts Kali.

Festivals

• Margazhi month, December to JanuaryThiruvadhirai

  Celebrated during the Tamil month of Margazhi.

Tips for your visit

• Kumbakonam is a town famous for its temples, and it is special among Tamil Nadu's temple towns.
• Devotees are expected to visit Suryanar Kovil after this temple, so plan both on one trip.

Questions people ask