Thillai Kali Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Pondicherry Airport is about 66 km north of Chidambaram town.

• By train

  Chidambaram railway station is on the Mayiladuthurai to Villupuram line. The Chennai to Trichy route runs through Cuddalore town.

• By road

  National highways NH45 and NH45A run through Cuddalore district.

Why devotees come here

Thillai Kali Temple stands on the outskirts of Chidambaram town in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Thillai Kali, a fierce form of Kaali Devi, who is worshipped in the east-facing shrine.

Legend says Kaali Devi moved here after losing a celestial dance contest to Shiva. The contest began as an argument over whether Shiva or Shakthi, Parvathi, is superior, and it was held at Chidambaram. Brahma calmed her anger by chanting the Vedas and praising her. The district page says Kali became calm through Brahma's penance, and that Thillai Amman, worshipped here, appears with four faces. Another version has Parvati, in anger, take the Kali form and settle outside the town borders.

Inscriptions on the temple walls suggest it was built in the 13th century by Kadava Kopperunchingan, a local chieftain. The district government page calls him a Chola king who ruled from 1229 to 1278. The temple lies outside the town because the later Cholas built the grand Shiva temple at the town centre.

Two main shrines stand in the temple. The west-facing shrine holds Brahma Chamundeeswari, the benign four-faced form. The east-facing shrine holds Thillai Kali in her ferocious form. Shrines to Saraswati as Veena Vidyambigai and to Dakshinamurthy in a female form, Kadambavana Dhakshina Rupini, are also here.

Festivals

• Tamil month of Vaikasi, mid May to mid JuneVaikasi Thiruvizha

  It is the temple's most famous festival. Held for 13 days. The deity goes out in procession each evening in a different vehicle, and on the 9th day the procession is on a chariot.

Tips for your visit

• A sacred wrist band, the Vaikasi Kaapu, is tied to the deity during the festival.
• During the festival the deity gets a daily morning ablution with gingelly oil, sandal powder and vermilion.

Questions people ask