Veerateeswarar Temple Vazhuvur

Getting there

• By air

  For Mayiladuthurai town, the nearest airport is Pondicherry Airport, 116 km away.

• By train

  Mayiladuthurai Junction, in the district town, lies on the main line between Chennai and Tiruchirappalli. Mayiladuthurai, the district headquarters, is 256 km from Chennai.

• By road

  Vazhuvur lies about 2 km from Manganallur on the Mayiladuthurai to Thiruvarur road. National Highway 32, the East Coast Road, connects the region.

Why devotees come here

Veerateeswarar Temple at Vazhuvur, in Mayiladuthurai district, is dedicated to Shiva, with his consort Bala Gujambigai. It is one of eight Ashta Veeratanam temples, built to mark each of Shiva's victories. The temple is known for its bronze icons.

Veerateeswarar Temple stands at Vazhuvur, in Mayiladuthurai district. The district was split from Nagapattinam district by a government order dated 28 December 2020. It is one of the eight Ashta Veeratanam temples, built to mark each of Shiva's victories. Legend says Shiva took the form of Gajasamharamurti, the slayer of the elephant, killed the elephant and wore its skin as a garment. The Tevaram, a 7th century Tamil Saiva work, mentions the village.

The present masonry structure was built in the Chola period, in the 9th century. Later expansions are attributed to the Thanjavur Nayaks, and most of the temple's inscriptions date from the Medieval Cholas, 1160 to 1276 CE. The temple is built in the Dravidian style and faces east, with a five-tiered rajagopuram, the main gateway tower.

The Gajasamharamurti idol was sculpted in the 11th century. The great hall, the Mahamandapa, houses a metal image of this form with six hands, each holding a different weapon. A notable sculpture shows Parvathi holding Murugan. The sanctum houses Veerateeswarar in the form of a lingam.

Tips for your visit

• Look for the six-armed metal image of Gajasamharamurti in the Mahamandapa, the great hall.
• The Panchamuga Theertham tank lies outside the main entrance.
• The bronze icons include Gajasamharamurti and Bhikshadana, which shows Shiva as a mendicant.

Questions people ask