Thiruvenkadu Budhan Temple

Getting there

• By road

  An older walking account reached the temple from the Chennai-Nagapattinam highway at Karaimedu junction, then passed through Annan Perumal Koil, Nangur and Mangaimadam.

Why devotees come here

Swetharanyeswarar Temple at Thiruvenkadu is a Shiva temple in Thiruvenkadu village, Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the nine Navagraha temples of Tamil Nadu, and it houses the image of Budha (Mercury).

The temple is part of the popular Navagraha pilgrimage in Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped here as Swetharanyeswarar in lingam form, with his consort Parvati as Brahmavidyambigai. Budha, or Mercury, has his image in the temple, and Budha is believed to signify a person's speaking skills. Devotees believe that Shiva, as Agoramurthi, killed the demon Maruthuvasuran under a tree on this spot. Some Hindu legends also say that Budhan was the child of Chandra and Tara.

The original complex is believed to have been built by the Cholas. The present masonry structure was built by the Vijayanagar kings in the 16th century. Stone inscriptions show that the earlier Chola kings Aditya Chola and Rajaraja Chola made large contributions here. Around a hundred inscriptions from the Cholas, the Pandyas and the Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya are found in the temple.

The complex covers about two acres and is entered through a seven-tiered gopuram, the main gateway. The Budha shrine is in the third precinct, opposite one of the temple tanks. Three water bodies, named Surya, Chandra and Agni, lie within the temple.

Festivals

• Purattasi (September to October)Navaratri

  Celebrated in the temple during the Tamil month of Purattasi.

• FebruaryChariot festival

  Held every February and celebrated for 10 days.

Tips for your visit

• Lighting a set of lamps is a common practice among devotees here.
• The village is 12 km from Sirkazhi, the taluk headquarters, and 95 km from Thanjavur.

Questions people ask