Suryanar Kovil

Getting there

• By road

  The temple is 2 km from Aduthurai, 15 km from Kumbakonam, 22 km from Mayiladuthurai and 58 km from Thanjavur. Take the Kumbakonam to Mayiladuthurai road through Aduthurai, or the Kumbakonam to Chennai road through Thiruppanandal.

Why devotees come here

Suryanar Kovil is a temple of Surya, the Sun, in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, near Aduthurai. It is considered one of the nine Navagraha temples of Tamil Nadu, and the only temple in the state with shrines for all the planetary deities.

Suryanar Kovil is a Hindu temple dedicated to Surya, the Sun, in the village of Suryanar Koil. The presiding deity is Suriyanar, the Sun, and his consorts are Ushadevi and Pratyusha Devi. The central Surya shrine stands on a raised structure, and the temple is counted among the nine Navagraha temples of Tamil Nadu. The Sun is the presiding deity among the nine Navagrahas.

A legend tells of Sage Kalava, who suffered from serious ailments including leprosy. He prayed to the nine Navagrahas, the planet deities. Another legend says Brahma cursed the planets. They prayed to Shiva for relief, and Shiva told them that this place would be theirs, and that from here they would bless the devotees who worship them.

An inscription in the temple says it was built in the reign of Kulottunga Choladeva (1060 to 1118 CE). The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram, the gateway tower. It is built in the Dravidian style of architecture. Muthuswami Dikshitar composed a song, Suryamurthe, in Saurashtra ragam on this deity.

Festivals

• MonthlyMonthly festivals

  Monthly festivals include Amavasai (new moon day), Kiruthigai, Pournami (full moon day) and Sathurthi.

Tips for your visit

• Worship Vinayagar, the deity inside the temple, first, since he is worshipped before Surya and the other planets.
• Every shrine is inside one granite wall, so the whole temple sits within a single enclosure.

Questions people ask