Sayavaneswarar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Pondicherry Airport is the nearest airport to Mayiladuthurai town, about 116 km away. The town was formerly known as Mayavaram or Mayuram, so older maps may use those names.

• By train

  Mayiladuthurai Junction (station code MV), formerly Mayavaram Junction, is the railway station in Mayiladuthurai town. The town is the headquarters of Mayiladuthurai district.

• By road

  Roadways and railways are the main ways to reach Mayiladuthurai town, the district headquarters. It lies 256 km from Chennai, the state capital.

Why devotees come here

Sayavaneswarar Temple stands in Thirusaikkadu village in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu. It is a Shiva temple of the Medieval Chola period, and the Saivite Nayanmars sang of it in their hymns. The Cauvery-side village is also counted among the Kasi equivalents.

The presiding deity is Shiva. The Saivite Nayanmars sang of this temple in their hymns. Thirusaikkadu, also called Chayavanam, is counted among the Kasi equivalents along the Cauvery. The research names Tiruvaiyaru, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvidaimarudur, Thiruvenkadu and Srivanchiyam as the other equivalents.

The temple is in the village of Thirusaikkadu near Kaveripoompattinam or Puhar, in Mayiladuthurai district. The temple is also spelled Chaayaavaneswarar. It dates from the time of the Medieval Cholas. Its history includes a loss: an idol of Standing Sambandar was stolen sometime between 1965 and 1975. The idol was recovered from Australia in 2022.

A 1958 photograph taken by the French Institute of Pondicherry shows an idol at Sayavanam, near Sirkazhi, that bears a striking resemblance to the one held in Australia.

Tips for your visit

• Name Thirusaikkadu village, not only Mayiladuthurai town, when you ask for directions.
• Older maps may still show the town as Mayavaram or Mayuram, its former names.
• The village lies near Kaveripoompattinam or Puhar, which are useful names for the last part of the trip.

Questions people ask