Veerataneswarar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport is at Pondicherry, about 45 km from Panruti town.

• By train

  Express and passenger trains run regularly between Mailaduthurai and Chennai via Panruti.

• By road

  Regular buses run from all important cities of Tamil Nadu to Panruti. The temple is 2 km from Panruti, in Thiruvathigai village.

Why devotees come here

Veerataneswarar Temple stands in Thiruvathigai village, 2 km from Panruti in Cuddalore district. It is one of the Ashta Veeratanam temples, which commemorate Shiva's acts of valour. Shiva is worshipped here as Veerattaneswarar, shown as a lingam.

Veerataneswarar Temple stands in Thiruvathigai village, close to Panruti in Cuddalore district. It is one of the Ashta Veeratanam temples, which commemorate Shiva's eight acts of valour and fury, in which he defeated demons, heroes or divinities. Shiva is worshipped here as Veerattaneswarar and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Thiripurasundari.

Legend holds that this is the place where Shiva destroyed three demons and the three cities they had created. After a fierce fight, he destroyed the demon Tripuran and took the name Tripurantaka. The temple is revered in the Tevaram hymns and classed as a Paadal Petra Sthalam, a shrine sung about in them. Under the influence of Appar, the Pallava king Mahendravarman I left Jainism and took up Saivism.

Raja Raja Chola I is believed to have stayed here for a long time to study the architecture before he built the Brihadeeswarar Temple. The complex is one of the largest in the state and has two gateway towers, called gopurams. The seven-tiered gateway tower has sculptures of 108 Bharatanatyam poses. The temple covers 7 acres with three precincts, and the second precinct was built in the Vijayanagar period.

Festivals

• Tamil month of ChittiraiVasantha Utsavam

  The most prominent festival of the temple, celebrated for ten days.

• Vaikasi (May to June)Vaikasi Brahmotsavam

  Another important festival of the temple.

Tips for your visit

• Set aside time for the second precinct, where the Vijayanagar-period sculptures are.
• The complex covers 7 acres in three precincts, so allow time to walk through all of them.

Questions people ask