Thyagaraja Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli International Airport, about 110 km from the town.

• By train

  Thiruvarur railway junction is a four-way junction, linking Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam and Thiruthuraipoondi.

• By road

  Thiruvarur is connected by three national highways, including NH 45A, to Viluppuram, and NH 67, to Coimbatore.

Why devotees come here

Thyagaraja Temple in Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, is a Shiva temple worshipped as a lingam named Thyagarajaswami. Its complex covers 8.1 hectares (20 acres) and has nine entrance towers. It is one of the largest temples in India.

The lingam is also known as Putridankondar. The presiding deity is praised in the Tevaram, the 7th century Tamil hymns of the Nayanar saint poets, and the shrine is classed as a Paadal Petra Sthalam. Tiruvarur is a municipality and the administrative headquarters of Tiruvarur district and taluk. Legend says a Chola king named Muchukunda received a boon from Indra and asked for a lingam image of Shiva dancing on the chest of Vishnu.

The Pallavas are believed to have begun a large temple complex here in the 7th century. The temple's unique feature is a standing Nandi that faces the presiding deity. The present masonry structure was built in the Chola period, in the 9th century. The eastern tower is the tallest of the nine gopurams, with four stories and a height of 30 metres.

The temple's Mahasamprokshanam, also called Kumbhabhishekam, was held on 8 November 2015. Thousands of devotees came from across the state that Sunday, despite heavy rain.

Festivals

• Once a year, during the chariot festival.Annual chariot festival

  The chariot is said to be the largest of its kind in Asia and India.

Tips for your visit

• The feet of Thyagaraja are shown twice a year.
• On other occasions the feet are covered with flowers.
• The temple is said to hold the record for the most shrines in India.

Questions people ask