Thirunallar Saneeswaran Temple

Book and check

Official pages only. We do not sell darshan passes or tours.

• Pooja schedulethirunallarutemple.org

Why devotees come here

Thirunallar Saneeswaran Temple stands in the small town of Thirunallar, near Karaikal in the Union Territory of Puducherry. It is one of the nine Navagraha temples of Tamil Nadu. The temple is best known for its shrine to Shani, the planet Saturn, which sits inside the Shiva temple.

The temple is dedicated to Shiva as Dharbaranyeswarar, and a shrine to Shani stands inside it. Shani is Saturn in Hindu astrology, and that shrine is what the temple is best known for.

A local legend tells of King Nala, who was troubled by the harmful influence of Saturn. He was freed from the affliction after bathing in the temple tank and worshipping Shiva at this site. The story is told locally as legend, not as recorded history.

The present masonry structure is attributed to the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, and later expansions are credited to the Vijayanagar rulers. The poet saint Tirugnana Sambandar visited in the 7th century and sang hymns in praise of Shiva. The temple's great event is the Saturn transit day festival, and the 18-day Brammotsavam is another important festival.

Festivals

This year

• March 6Sanipeyarchi Festival 2026

  Announced on the temple's official site.

Every year

• Roughly every 2.5 yearsSani Peyarchi

  The transit of Saturn between zodiac signs. The temple draws especially large crowds at this time.

• Vaikasi month (May-June)Brammotsavam

  An 18-day festival that begins on the Uthiratadhi star day.

Tips for your visit

• You can have a pooja performed and archana prasadam sent by post, after remitting the prescribed amount.
• Saturn transit days bring very large crowds.

Questions people ask