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Vilwanatheswarar Temple
Photo: Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous temples · Tamil Nadu

Vilwanatheswarar Temple

Shiva as Vilwanatheswarar, a Paadal Petra Sthalam in Thiruvalam village

Checked 19 Oct 2026 with 4 sources2 min read

DirectionsShare

Getting there

  • By train

    Vellore has three main railway stations: Katpadi Junction, Vellore Cantonment and Vellore Town.

  • By road

    The temple is about 20 km from Vellore.

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Why devotees come here

Vilwanatheswarar Temple is a Shiva temple in Thiruvalam village, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped here in the form of a lingam, and the 7th century Tevaram praises the deity. The temple is counted among the Paadal Petra Sthalam shrines.

Thiruvalam is a village in Vellore district. The central shrine houses Vilwanatheswarar, Shiva in the form of a lingam. The 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, praises the deity, and the temple is counted among the Paadal Petra Sthalam shrines.

Legend says Ganesha circled his parents Shiva and Parvati at this place. Valam is the Tamil word for going around, so the village came to be known as Thiruvalam. Tradition also says the Nandi bull faces outward to guard the temple.

Many inscriptions here date to the Chola period. Parts of the complex are attributed to the Cholas, and the present masonry structure was built in the 16th century under the Nayaks. The entrance is a five-tiered gopuram, the main gateway to the complex.

Festivals

  • Magam month (February to March)Brahmotsavam

    The most prominent festival of the temple.

Tips for your visit

  • Plan the darshan for the morning or the evening, when the gates are open.
  • Choose whichever of the three Vellore stations is closest to your route.

Darshan at home

Not in the app yet

Vilwanatheswarar Temple is not in the Divya Darshan 360 app yet. These Famous temples temples are, with darshan videos you can watch at home:

In the appChamundeshwari Temple, MysuruChamundi Hill, Mysuru, KarnatakaIn the appDakshineswar Kali Temple, KolkataDakshineswar, North 24 Parganas, near Kolkata, West BengalIn the appShirdi Sai Baba Temple, MaharashtraShirdi, Rahata taluka, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra
Get the appAndroid

The app is free, Android only. For darshan as if you are standing there, see the VR box (₹899, or ₹949 cash on delivery).

Questions people ask

Is the temple open in the afternoon?

No. It closes at 12 PM and reopens at 4 PM, closing at 8 PM. The Vellore district government page gives these timings.

Is the temple linked to the Chola period?

Yes. Many inscriptions here date to the Chola period. Parts of the complex are attributed to the Cholas, though the present masonry dates from the 16th century, under the Nayaks.

Is there a set festival to plan the trip around?

The Brahmotsavam falls in the Tamil month of Magam, February to March. Check the exact dates before you travel.

Which way does the main shrine face?

East. The central shrine houses the Vilwanatheswarar lingam, which faces east. Shiva is worshipped here in the form of this lingam.

Where does the name Thiruvalam come from?

Valam is the Tamil word for going around. Legend says Ganesha went around his parents Shiva and Parvati here, and the village took its name from this. The Thiruvalam name is tied to that story.

How we checked this page

On 19 Oct 2026 we checked every fact on this page against these sources, official ones first. Anything we could not confirm is left out.

  1. Vilvatheeswarar Temple, Vellore District (Government of Tamil Nadu) vellore.nic.in
  2. Vilwanatheswarar temple, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  3. Nandi guards this ancient temple, The New Indian Express newindianexpress.com
  4. Vellore, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org

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