Thirukarukavur Karbarakshambigai Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli, which the district tourism page gives as 61 km from Thanjavur town.

• By train

  Papanasam Railway Station is the nearest station, about 6.7 km from the temple. Thanjavur town has direct trains to Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Chennai and other cities.

• By road

  The temple is about 20 km north-east of Thanjavur and 20 km south-west of Kumbakonam. It lies about 3 km from National Highway 36, which connects Thanjavur and Kumbakonam.

Why devotees come here

Thirukarukavur Karbarakshambigai Temple stands in the Vettar river bed, a branch of the Cauvery, in Thanjavur district. It is one of the five Pancha Aranya Sthalams, temples named after forests. Shiva is worshipped here as Mullaivananathar, and devotees come to pray for the birth of a child.

The temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams glorified in the Saiva canon, and one of the five Pancha Aranya Sthalams, temples named after forests. The village lies in the Papanasam taluk of Thanjavur district. Legend says a woman named Vedikai prayed to Ambigai for relief. The deity appeared as Garbharakshambigai and protected the fetus in a pot. The village takes its name, Tirukarukavoor, from this, since the fetus is believed to have been saved by the deity.

The temple is situated in the river bed of the Vettaru, a branch of the Cauvery. It is believed to have been built in the Chola period in the 7th century. The temple has 31 Chola-period inscriptions, from the reigns of Koperi Varman, Rajaraja I, Rajendra Chola I and Kulothunga Chola. A granite wall encloses all the shrines. The temple has a five-tier rajagopuram, the gateway tower, and an outer prakaram.

Festivals

• VaikasiVaikasi Visagam

  Festival for Mullaivananathar. Adipooram and Navarathri are held for Devi Ambal.

• Sundays in the Tamil month of Karthikai (Nov-Dec)Karthikai Sunday abhishekam

  Shiva is bathed with 1008 conches on each Sunday of the month.

Tips for your visit

• Sheerakundam, the temple tank, lies opposite the temple.
• The temple is also known as Mullai vananathar and Karparakshambigai, so search with both spellings.

Questions people ask