Sri Veeratteswarar Koil

Getting there

• By air

  Get down at Chennai airport. From Chennai, take a bus or train to the temple.

• By train

  Trains run from Chennai to Viluppuram, and from Viluppuram to Katpadi via Tirukoilur. Get down at Tirukoilur and take local transport to the temple.

• By road

  Buses run from Chennai to Viluppuram, and from Viluppuram buses reach Tirukoilur.

Why devotees come here

Sri Veeratteswarar Koil stands in Thirukkoilur town, Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the eight Veeratta temples, and Thevaram hymns praise it as the 11th Shiva temple in the Nadunadu region. Its deity is Shiva as Veeratteswarar.

Saints Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar sang in praise of the temple's presiding deity in their Thevaram hymns. The temple is one of the eight Veeratta temples, the Ashta Veeratta Sthalas. Its historical name is Anthakapuram, Thirukkaivelur.

The main deity is Veeratteswarar, a form of Shiva. The Ambal is Periya Nayagi, also called Shivanathavalli. The festival image is Anthakashuvath Moorthy. The holy tree is Sarakkontrai, and the holy water is the Thenpennai river.

Legend says the world went dark when Mother Parvathi covered the eyes of Shiva, which are the sun and moon. The account calls this a play. In the same story, Shiva struck the darkness giant Andhaka on the head with a club in his hand. The story ends with Shiva creating Bhairavas to stop the demons. The account says this later came to be known as the Vasthu Shanti Puja for Bhairavas.

Tips for your visit

• The same town is also known for the Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, a Vishnu temple, and the Kabilar Kundru.
• Tirukoilur is on the highway connecting Tiruvannamalai and Vellore with southern Tamil Nadu.

Questions people ask