Nageswarar Temple Kumbakonam

SRI NAGESWARAR TEMPLE

Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, India

God

The main deity of this temple is Nageswaran, who is an incarnation of Lord Shiva faces East direction and He is swayambhu. He is seated on a big Avudayar small in size along with Periya Nayaki, Brahanayagi.

Goddess

Goddess Periya Nayaki and Brahanayagi are consorts of Nageswaran. Mother Periya Nayaki graces the devotees with her blessing hand Abhaya Karam.

Interesting Facts

This is the 27th Shiva Temple on the Southern bank of Cauvery praised in hymns.
The rays of Sun fall on the lord of Panguni in March.

Best Season To Visit

The best season to visit this temple is Winter season. The best months to visit are September to March.

Weather

Highest - April to June (38 °C during day and 25 °C during night)Average - May (36 °C during the day and 20 °C during night)Lowest - October to February (28 °C during day and 19 °C during night)Monsoon season - August to September

Dress Code

For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
These rules are applicable for foreigners also. Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.
Pilgrims/visitors will not be allowed inside the temple if dress code is not followed.

Do's & Dont's

Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.

Smoking is strictly prohibited inside the temple premises.

transport connections

Name	Distance	Contact Number
Kumbakonam Bus Stand	1.4 KM	1800-419-4287
Kumbakonam Railway Station	1.5 KM	139
Tiruchirappalli International Airport	91 KM	07373774163

Railway Station Name	Distance	Contact Number
Kumbakonam Railway Station	1.5 KM	139

Airport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Tiruchirappalli International Airport	91 KM	07373774163

Architecture

Origin of the Name - Divine Serpent Adisesha was bearing the whole weight of Earth. As the weight grew due to the sins committed by the wicked, he could not excess weight and felt exhausted. He visited Mount Kailash and begged Lord Shiva to bless him with the adequate energy needed to do his job. Lord promised him the energy to hold the Earth with a single head (Adiseaha has 1000 heads). Adiseaha, with the blessings of Lord Shiva came to this part of Kumbakonam where one leaf of Vilwa fell from the nectar pot. He installed a linga here and worshipped the lord. As Nagaraja the king of Snakes worshipped the lord here, he is praised as Nageswarar.

The temple faces East direction and built in Chola style of architecture. It has 5-tier Raja gopuram consists of three gopurams in the Eastern, Western and Southern directions. There is no Dhwaja sthambham, but bhali peetam is available. Nataraja shrine is in the form of a chariot on wheel drawn by horses as in the case of Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram and Sarangapani Temple in Kumbakonam. The sanctum is of padabandha-padmaka type stands on padmopana. The lotus leaves of the padmopana are carved with vitality. In its iconographic scheme the Ardhanari, Brahma and Dakshinamoorthy in the niches of the outer wall are featured. There are two large prakarams inside a high compound wall. The mandap is aesthetically designed in the form of a rath drawn by two Horses and 4 Elephants. The Vinayagar is present in the Ardha mandapam, in front of the sanctum of Nageswarar. There is a koneru named as Maha Magam tank, Naga theertham.

Religious Significance

According to Hindu mythology, at the end of every “Yuga”, there is a huge flood that leads to the destruction of all living beings in the Earth. This is called the “Pralayam”. Lord Shiva, through Lord Brahma, arranged for the seeds of all living organisms and four Vedas and Puranas to be put in a pot (“Amutha Kalas” or Kumbham or Kudam in Tamil) filled with nectar (“amrutham”). This was decorated with flowers and cloth and a string was tied to it. This was kept on top of the Mount Kailash. When the Maha Pralayam started, it destroyed all living creatures on the Earth. The Amutha Kalas also got displaced and started floating on the seas for years. Eventually when the Pralayam stopped, the Kalas settled in Kumbakonam. Then Lord Shiva took the form of a hunter (Kiratha Murthy) and split open the pot with his arrow. The life on Earth started flourishing again.

History

The temple was built in 9th century A.D. by Aditya Chola.

Temple Timings

Day	Timings
All Days	05:00 AM - 12:30 PM	04:00 PM - 09:00 PM

Tours

Airports

Airport Name	Distance
Shamshabad	40 KM
Lorem Ipsum	12 KM

Railway Stations

Railway Station Name	Distance
Secunderabad	10 KM
Nampally	12 KM
Begumpet	6 KM
Lingampally	20 KM

Bus Stations

Bus Station Name	Distance
MGBS	35 KM
CBS	28 KM
kukatpally	20 KM
Lingampally	30 KM
Uppal	35 KM

Private Transports

Transport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Private Transport	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757