Introduction

What are the Navagrahas?

This article is part one of a two-part full-length

feature on the Navagraha Sthallas - unique

temples around Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, that

are dedicated to the worship of the Navagrahas

(nine planets). Each one of these Navagrahas

temples is dedicated to individual graha. This

article provides information about the Navagrahas

and these one-of-a-kind nine temples. It contains

details of each Navagraha and the astrological,

mythological and historical angles associated with

its temple.

The Navagrahas, nine grahas or celestial bodies

are :-

• Surya (Sun)

• Chandra (Moon)

• Mangal (Mars)

• Budha (Mercury)

• Guru (Jupiter)

• Shukra (Venus)

• Shani (Saturn)

• Rahu & Ketu (The two nodes of the Solar

and Lunar eclipses)

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are not included in the

Navagrahas either because they were probably

not known to exist or were thought to be too far

away to exert any influence.

For the believer Navagrahas permeate all aspects

of life. The Navagrahas occupy a unique niche in

the Hindu pantheon. The Navagrahas are neither a

part of the triumvirate of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

and nor a part of other major deities of Hinduism

like the goddesses Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati

or other deities such as Hanuman, Ganesh and

Kartikeya.

continued on page 2

- Corporate Logos8 Parle-G Biscuits

10- Vedic IndiaKumbh Mela

u Volume 55 u Pages 16u March 2013 www.vaastuyogam.com

EDITORIAL

stC o n n e c t i n g V a a s t u t o t h e 21 C e n t u r y

VaastuyogamNEWSLETTER

Welcome to the March 2013 issue of Vaastuyogam.

In response to regular and repeated requests from

readers, to explain India’s age old festivals,

pilgrimages and customs in pictures and in text.

Vaastuyogam , this month, carries in-depth articles

on Kumbh and Navagrahashas.

The problem is that Hindu ways and means have

stayed undocumented or lost in arcane texts known

only to reticent individuals praying silently in the

carved corridors of ancient temples. The cut-and-

thrust of modern lifestyles has pushed our scant

knowledge of our ancient customs even further into

the shadows.

It is our mission at Vaastuyogam to research this

deeply interesting and useful knowledge and make

it accessible in English to the public at large.

Our two articles one on The Kumbh Mela and the

other ‘Belief is Relief’ on the grahas and their

propitiation at the Navagraha Stallams around

Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, hope to achieve

these very objectives.

The Kumbh is the world’s single largest religious

congregation and in the words of Mark Tully is an

awe-inspiring demonstration of simple piety.

Those lucky enough to visit the Mela know this to be

true.

Happy reading.

- Jyotisha1Nava Graha

jyotishajyotisha

jyotisha

The Navagrahas move in the celestial

sphere with reference to the stellar

constellations known as Nakshatra. There

are twenty-seven Nakshatras which are

repeated in the Hindu calendar every

month. The movement of the Navagrahas in

respect Nakshatras are said to control a

person’s destiny including his/her thoughts

and deeds, status and prosperity.

The Navagrahas are considered to be

intermediaries between the principal deity in

the temple – almost always Shiva and the

worshipper. Each of the Navagrahas is in

charge of specific areas that concern the

devotee. It could be health, wealth,

knowledge, marital bliss and just about

anything about everything else.

The Navagrahas are said to affect the

physical and mental condition of human

beings. They are considered to have

malevolent as well as benevolent influences

on the day-to-day activities of the individual.

It is deemed to be in one’s best interest to be

in the good books of the Navagrahs and

never – ever – to provoke them. It could be

solving a petty problem or a major

encumbrance it is believed that worshipping

a specific graha for a specific need will get

the devotee what he craves.

Each graha is assigned a specific day of the

u March 2013

continued on page 3

week to ensure remembrance and worship.

For Surya it is Sunday; for Chandra it is

Monday; for Mangal it is Tuesday; for Budha

its Wednesday; for Guru it is Thursday; for

Shukra it is Friday and for Shani it is

Saturday. No day of the week is specifically

associated with Rahu and Ketu because

Rahu and Ketu do not have any physical

presence.

Each graha has assigned to itself a specific

color, grain, metal, vehicle and gem-stone.

For instance, the colour for Surya is red; the

grain for Chandra is paddy; the vehicle for

Budha is a horse; the metal for Shukra is

silver and the gem for Shani is sapphire.

Of the Navagrahas Mangal (Mars), Shani

(Saturn) plus Rahu and Ketu are said to be

malefic.

Navaratna is a Sanskrit word which means

“nine gems” and is related to the nine

planets or Navagraha in Hindu Vedic

astrology. The word Nava means ‘nine’ and

Ratna means ‘gem’. Each gemstone is

related to one Graha among the Navgrahas.

Navaratna gemstones are considered

auspicious and believed to give good health,

prosperity, happiness and peace of mind to

those who wear it. It protects against

negative energies or malefic effects of

planets and strengthens the positive

influences of the gems.

Diamond, ruby, emerald, blue sapphire and

pearl are named as Maharatnas as they are

considered to be superior to other gem.

Navaratna Nine Gems in Hindu Astrology

The Navagrahas and The Nine Unique Temples in Tamil Nadu Dedicated to Their Worship.

- Part One

1

Usually people wear Navaratnas in the form

of rings. The positions of planets keep on

changing, accordingly the dasa and

mahadasas of the planets. Astrology says

that the malefic effects of Planets can be

balanced by the effect of beneficial planets

when one wears the Navaratna Jewellery.

1) Ruby – Manikkam or Manek – Lord Surya

or Sun

2) Pearl – Moti – Lord Chandra or Moon

3) Red Coral – Moonga – Lord Kuja or

Planet Mars

4) Emerald – Marakatam or Panna – Lord

Budh or Mercury

5) Yellow Sapphire – Pukharaj – Jupiter or

Lord Guru

6) Diamond – Heera or Vairam – Venus or

Lord Shukra

7) Blue Sapphire – Neelam – Saturn or Lord

Shani

8) Hessonite – Gomedh – Lord Rahu

9) Cat’s Eye – Vaiduryam – Lord Ketu

The Navagraha pujas are mostly performed

at home by engaging a knowledgeable and

senior priest. It is also a tradition – especially

in the southern India – to install Nava

Grahams on a platform in a separate

Navaratna Gemstones and their Planetary

Representations

Worship of the Navagrahas

BELIEF IS RELIEF

Navagraha, British Museum originally from Konark, Orissa. From left: Surya, Chandra, Mangala, Budha, Brihaspati, Shukra, Shani, Rahu, Ketu

jyotisha

enclosure in Shiva and Devi temples. In

most of the Shiva temples, particularly in

south India, one can see the Navagraha

shrines worshipped as secondary deities

enshrined in a corner of the temple.

However, in the state of Tamil Nadu there

are nine unique temples to be found in a

radius of 70 kilometers around the temple

town Kumbakonam that are dedicated to the

worship of each individual of the

Navagrahas.

The nine planets are invariably found in

every Saiva temple in South India. In many

North Indian temples they are depicted on

the lintels of doors, to protect the temple and

all those who enter it. They may also be

housed in a separate Mandapa (a small

pavilion) or at least a platform where the

images of these nine Grahas are installed in

such a way that no two of them will face each

other. It is sometimes stated that the images

of the planets are set up in the temples in the

order in which they are in the

zodiacal circle at the time of

the construction of the temple.

In Indian Astrology, movement

o f t h e N a v a g r a h a s i s

considered to have a major

role in influencing the fortunes

of any individual. In order to

mitigate the negative effects of

a planet which is debilated in

the birth chart or to provide

more potency to a planet that

is in an exalted state, believers

undertake pilgrimage to

d e s i g n a t e d N a v a g r a h a

temples.

Navagraha Temp les in

Tamilnadu are the 9 temples

dedicated to Navagrahas – the

nine celestial planets of Hindu

ast ronomy. These n ine

Navagraha temples are

Navagraha temples

located near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu.

Each of these Navagraha shrines is situated

in a different village, and is dedicated to one

of the 9 Navagrahas. That is, the first temple

Sooriyanar Kovil is dedicated to Lord Surya,

while the second temple Thingaloor

Chandra Navagrahastalam is dedicated to

Lord Chandra likewise. However, an

interesting aspect is that majority of the

temples enshrine Lord Shiva and his

consort goddess Parvati are the primary

deities though they both have different

names at the different temples.

The Navagraha Temples of Tamil Nadu are

located in Nagapattinam, Tiruvaru and

Thanjavur Districts. This lush green district,

through which the Cauvery flows, has these

nine Shiva temples. Each of these temple

enshrines a Navagraha. Six of the

Navagraha temples are situated on the

northern bank of Cauvery and three on the

southern bank.

There is unfortunately no way of dating

these temples (except Suriyanar Koil which

was built in 1100 AD) due to lack of concrete

written evidence. We can only go by

circumstantial evidence, one method being

the compositions of the Nayanmars who

Age of the temples

composed and sang hymns about the

Navagraha temples around 7th Century AD.

There the assumption is that all these

temples were in existence around 7th

Century AD.

1) Suriyanar Koil of Sun God : Suriyanar

Temple is dedicated to Hindu Sun God and

is situated 3 km from Aduthurai, which is on

the Kumbakonam - Mayiladuthurai Road in

Tamil Nadu.

2) Thingaloor Temple : Thingaloor

Kailasanathar Temple is dedicated to Lord

Chandra or Moon God and is situated 1.5

km f rom Thi rupayhanam, on the

Kumbakonam - Thiruvayyaru Road.

3) Vaitheeswaran Kovil: Vaitheeswaran

Temple is dedicated to Angaraka (Sewai or

Chowa) and is situated 4 km from

Mayiladuthurai, on the Chidambaram Road.

4) Thiruvenkadu Temple: Thiruvenkadu

Swetharanyeswarar Temple is dedicated to

Lord Budha and is situated 10 km south-

east of Sirkali.

5 ) A l a n g u d i Te m p l e : A l a n g u d i

Navagraha Temples and Their Location

u March 2013 3

2

continued on page 4

Route map of Navagraha Temples near Kumbakonam

jyotisha

4 Vaastuyogam u March 2013

3

Abathsahayeswarar Temple is dedicated to

Brihaspati (Guru or Vyazhan or Planet

Jupiter) and is about 15 km from

K u m b a k o n a m o n t h e w a y t o

Needamangalam.

6) Kan janoor Temple : Kan janoor

Agneeswarar Temple is dedicated to Sukran

(Velli or Planet Venus) and is located at an

interior village on the Mayiladuthurai -

Kathiramangalam Road.

7) Thirunal lar Temple: Thirunal lar

Darbaranyeswarar Temple is dedicated to

Lord Shani (Sani or Saturn) and is located 5

km on the way to Peralam - Karaikkal.

8 ) T h i r u n a g e s w a r a m Te m p l e :

Thirunageswaram Naganathaswamy

Temple is dedicated to Lord Rahu and is

situated about 7 km from Kumbakonam -

Karaikkal Road.

9 ) K e e z h p e r u m p a l l a m Te m p l e :

Keezhperumpallam Temple is dedicated to

Lord Kethu and is situated near Poompuhar

on the Mayiladuthurai - Poompuhar Road.

Lord Surya or the Sun God occupies the

central place amongst the Navagrahas

facing the east. Also known as Ravi, Surya is

the Lord of ‘Simha Rashi’ or Leo sign in

Zodiac. Surya’s vahana is a chariot drawn

by seven horses. The seven horses

represent the seven colors of the white light

and seven days of a week. He presides over

‘Raviwar’ or Sunday, his color is red and

gemstone is ruby.

Surya is, by himself, a very powerful deity.

He bestows health, success and prosperity.

SURYA

My salutations to Surya, creator of the

splendorous day, son of the sage Kashyapa

and destroyer of ignorance and all

sins

- Navagraha Stotram

He ensures victory over ill-wishers. Valmiki

writes in the Ramayana that when Lord

Rama had to go to war against Ravana,

Rishi Agasatya taught him the Aditya

Hrudaya Stotra in order to invoke Surya to

aid his campaign.

The Mahabharata says that Surya is the son

of the sage Kashyapa and Aditi, daughter of

Daksha. Hence, he is also known as Aditya.

The Aditya Hrudaya Stotra details Surya’s

other names: Savita, Bhanu, Pushan,

Divakara, Haridasuvan, Sahasrachis,

Saptasapti, Marthanda, Bhaskara, Ravi,

Mahatejas and Lokasakshi. Prayers to

Surya are believed to be effacious in the

curing of ailments such as problems with the

eyes, weak bones, fevers of long duration

and skin problems. He is believed to control

the well-being of one’s father.

Surya is portrayed as seated in a single-

wheeled chariot drawn by seven horses

denoting the seven days of the week. A halo

usually emanates from the image, signifying

Surya’s power as also the light he emits. The

charioteer is Aruna, the dawn.

Suryanar Koil, Suryanar Temple or

Sooriyanaar Koil, is the first of the 9

Navagraha Temples in Tamil Nadu, located

about 1 km from Tirumangalakkudi which

l i e s b e t w e e n K u m b a k o n a m a n d

Mayavaram, near Thanjavur, in Tamilnadu.

Popular known as Surya Sthalam,

Suryanaar Kovil is dedicated to the Sun God

or Lord Surya, the first of Navagrahas. This

is the only temple in South India dedicated

Suryanar Temple - Navagraha Temple of

Sun God

continued on page 5

In the Hindu Mythology, the Navagrahas have an exalted position in a persons life as they

exert a great influence and it is said that the proper worship of these 9 planets can greatly

tone down their malefic influence and thus grant peace and prosperity in a persons life.

The entire place where the Navagraha is installed in a temple is a black granite stand and

the Navagrahas are also black granite with the facial features not so well formed, but they

are well decorated with the most favored colored cloth of the particular planet. Entire

pedestal that they are placed on has small channels that lead the water, milk, curd, yoghurt

and oil abhisheka that the idols are regularly done to a clean place. The oil from shani puja

/ abhishek is collected to light the lamps in the temple. So on and so forth.

As per Hindu customs, the Navagraha are typically placed in a single square with the Sun

(Surya) in the center and the other deities surrounding Surya; no two of them are made to

face each other. In South India, their images are generally found in all important Saiva

temples. They are invariably placed in a separate hall, on a pedestal of about three feet in

height, usually to the north-east of the sanctum sanctorum.

jyotisha

4

exclusively to Surya (Sun God). In the

sanctum, Brihaspati is depicted as

worshipping Lord Shiva Suryanarayana.

The other planets are enshrined separately.

The presiding deity, Sri Suryanarayana

swamy, is found in a lying posture inside the

sanctum sanctorum with his consorts Sri

Usha Devi and Sri Pratyusha Devi. The

other eight Navagrahas are seen facing the

Sun God. Besides, Suriyanar Temple also

embodies the shrines of Kasi Vishwanath,

Visalakshi and Brihaspati (Guru) within the

sanctum. The Kol Theertha Vinayakar

(Ganesha or Pillayar) shrine is a prominent

sculpture here.

Lord Surya Bhagawan is known as the giver

of health, success and prosperity. It is

believed that those who are affected by

'Graha Dhosham' and negative influence of

Lord Shani (Planet Saturn), Ashtama Shani

(Shani in 8th house) and Janma Shani

(Shani in 1st house) can visit Suryanar Koil

to get relieved of their sufferings. Wheat,

Red Lotus, Erukku (Madar Plant) and

Sakkarai Pongal are some of the offerings to

worship the Lord.

Sooriyanar Temple History and Architecture

Sooriyanar Kovil faces west and is built in

such a way to receive maximum beneficial

rays from the planets. Built by Chola King,

Kulothunga Chola I in the year 1100 AD, the

temple features a huge tower with three tiers

and five domes at the top. The sanctum and

the ardhamandapam are built of stone. This

is the only Navagraha temple where all the

nine grahas (nine planets) can be found in

separate sannadhis (Sanctums).

There is a tank called Surya Pushkarni,

which lies to the north of the Rajagopuram.

This is considered as a sacred bathing ghat.

There are around 15 theerthams in the

Suryanar Temple. The one which is located

inside the temple is called as Jnana

Koopam. The inscriptions from the period of

Krishna Deva Raya speak about the

endowments made to this temple. Nearby

the temple is the Poolaivala River. A

sacrificial platform (bali peetam) is seen at

the entrance and to its east lies a mandap.

An idol of a horse, the Sun God’s vaahanam

(vehicle), is seen here. The steps in front of

Guru Bhagwan lead to the idols of other

grahas.

The annual Ratha Saptami festival

(Rathasapthami) during the Tamil month of

Thai (January – February) is one of the main

festival celebrated here. The first Sundays in

the months of Aavani (Leo) and Kartikai

(Scorpio) is also considered very

auspicious. Vijaya Dashami and annual

Brahmotsavam festival (Bhrammotsavam)

are also held with much devotion.

Suryanar Temple is opened from 6:00 AM to

12:30 PM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Suryanar Koil is about 21 km from

Swamimalai and 15 km from Kumbakonam.

It is about 20 km from Mayiladuthurai on the

Suryanar Temple Festivals

Temple Timings

How to reach Suryanar Temple

Kumbakonam - Aduthurai – Mayiladuthurai

Road. Aduthurai Railway Station is the

nearest railway station.

Note: According to prescribed procedure

one must visit the Thirumangalakudi temple

before worshiping at Suryanar Temple. The

visit to Thirumangalakudi is necessary and

without it the entire trip to the Navagraha

temples – especially Suryanar Temple – will

remain incomplete.

Chandra is a lunar deity and is also known

as Soma. The Moon represents the mind,

feminine nature, beauty and happiness. He

is believed to ride his chariot across the sky

every night, pulled by ten white horses or an

antelope. He is also called ‘Nishadipati’ and

‘Kshuparaka’. Lord Chandra is also one of

the Gods of Fertility. Chandra is the god of

Karka rashi or cancer zodiac sign. The

mental stability and well-being of a person

largely depends on the placement of the

moon in his horoscope. As Soma he

presides over ‘Somavar’ or Monday and

gemstone is pearl.

When the celestial of Ocean of milk was

being churned, Chandra was one of the first

to emerge from it. He has pride of place in

Lord Shiva’s matted hair. This powerful

Graham is next only to Surya in his strength

and power to bestow favors on his

worshippers. He is Lord Shiva’s left eye

while Surya is the right eye. Chandra grants

a comfortable long life and fame. He cures

eye ailments (especially those of the left

eye) and skin diseases. Most importantly,

Chandra is the graha who helps remove

stress and sorrow. People suffering from

mental ailments seek a cure from him.

Chandra is believed to control the well-being

of one’s mother. Those with strained family

relations pray to him to remove frictions

within the family.

Kailasanathar Temple, the second of the 9

CHANDRA

Thingaloor Kailasanathar Temple –

Navagraha Temple of Lord Chandra

I bow to the Moon god who adorns the crest

of Shiva, white like snow who emerged out of

the Ocean of Milk.

- Navagraha Stotram

u March 2013 5

continued on page 6

The Navagrahas are considered to be intermediaries between the principal deity in the temple – almost always Shiva and the worshipper. Each of the Navagrahas is in charge of specific areas that concern the devotee. It could be health, wealth, knowledge, marital bliss and just about anything about everything else.

jyotisha

6 Vaastuyogam u March 2013

5

Navagraham Temples in Tamilnadu,

dedicated to Lord Chandra (Moon God), the

second graha of the Navagrahas. This

Chandra Navagraha Stalam is located at

Thingaloor which is about 8 km from

Tiruvaiyaru near Thanjavur in Tamilnadu.

Thingaloor is named after the Tamil word,

‘Thingal’, which means Chandra or Moon.

As most of the other Navagraha Temples of

Tamilnadu, Kailasanathar Temple is also a

Shiva Stalam and the main deities

worshipped here are Kailasanathar and

Goddess Periyanakiamman.

Legend says that the Lord Chandra

worshipped Lord Shiva here to save him

from a curse and gained his blessings.

Hence it is believed that those who have any

Chandra Dosha in their horoscopes can get

relief from suffering by offering prayers and

perfoming pujas to Lord Kailasanathar,

Goddess Periyanayaki and Chandra

Bhagwan. Devotees who worship Lord

Chandra are blessed with good health,

mother’s welfare, and get rid of the stress

and sorrow in daily life.

Thingaloor Kailasanathar Temple is about

1500 years old. Built in the 7th century by

Pallava King Rajasimha, this ancient

Shaivite shrine reflects the early Dravidian

architecture. A huge Nandi is seen in the

front, facing the temple. The 16-sided Shiva

lingam at the main shrine is made out of

black granite. A unique feature of Thingaloor

Temple is that during the months of Puratasi

(September - October) and Panguni (March

- April), the rays of the moon fall on the Shiva

Lingam.

This Chandra Sthalam is associated with

the life of Tirunavukkarasar, one of the 63

Nayanmars (Saivite saints). Legend says

that there lived a merchant, Appoodi Adikal,

at Thingaloor, who was a devotee of

Tirunavukkarasar. Appoodi Adigal had an

opportunity to host the saint, when he visited

Temple Architecture

Thingaloor Temple History

Thingaloor. At the same time, his son was

bitten by a venomous snake. However, the

merchant continued to serve the saint

without revealing the tragedy. The saint was

inspired by his devotion and restored the

boy’s life by singing songs in praise of Lord

Shiva at this temple. This collection of ten

s o n g s c a m e t o b e k n o w n a s

‘Thirupathikam’.

As Lord Chandran’s color is white, he is

offered with raw rice mixed with jaggery,

white Arali (a flower), and white clothing. It is

believed that this pooja removes obstacles

in life. Besides, special pujas are performed

on all full moon days. Thingaloor is the

shrine where one prays for the health and

prosperity of one’s mother. Kailasnatha

bestows fame on the devotee and cures skin

and eye problems.

The temple is opened from 7:00 AM to 1:00

PM and 4:00PM to 8:00 PM on all days.

Thingaloor Temple is about 36 km from

Kumbakonam, on the way to Tiruvaiyaru. It

is about 1 km from Thirupayhanam which is

on the Kumbakonam - Thiruvayyaru Road.

Kumbakonam Railway Station is the

nearest railway station. Frequent buses are

a l s o a v a i l a b l e . S e t h u E x p r e s s

(Rameswaram to Tambaram) and Tirupati

Express (Tiruchirapalli - Tirupati) passes

through Kumbakonam Railway Station.

Budha is generally represented with four

hands, three of his hands holding a sword, a

shield and a mace respectively while the

fourth one is held in usual varada mudra. He

rides a carpet or an eagle or a chariot drawn

by lions. Mercury represents one’s

intelligence and communication. The planet

governs the nervous system. His color is

green his day is Wednesday or ‘Budhwar’

and his gemstone is Emerald. Budha is the

Temple Offerings

Temple Timings

How to reach Thingaloor Kailasanathar

Temple

BUDHA – PLANET MERCURY

I bow to Budha who is dark of hue, of

unparalleled beauty and of composed

countenance.

- Navagraha Stotram

God of Mithuna Rashi and Kanya Rashi in

Astrology.

In Hindu mythology, Buddha is Buddhi

Nathan ( he who imparts wisdom) or Graha

Peeda Hara ( He who destroys the malefic

influence of other planets) Budha’s

controlling deity being Maha Vishnu or

Narayana, praying either to Budha or

reciting the Vishnu Sahasra Namam ( The

Thousand names of Vishnu) bestows

wisdom, intellect and excellence in

education – both technical and the fine arts –

promotion of the place of work and success

in business ventures.

Budha confers the art of communication well

and also a sense of humor! He controls the

lungs, intestines and the nervous system

and is the one to be prayed for a solution any

problems with these organs. He is in charge

of the well-being of maternal uncles. He is a

gentle planet , peaceful in nature and grants

wealth and vehicles. He is light green in

color and I attired in green robes. Wearing

an emerald or worshiping him on

Wednesdays is considered auspicious.

Budha, is the son of Chandra.

S w e t h a r a n y e s w a r a r Te m p l e a t

Thiruvenkadu, the fourth Navagraha

sthalam of the 9 Navagraha Temples in

Tamil Nadu, is the abode for Bhudhan or

Bhuda (planet Mercury). Thiruvenkadu

Bhudha Sthalam is located near

Poompuhar, around 10 km from Sirkazhi,

24 km east of Mayuram and 59 km from

Kumbakonam. The presiding deity is Lord

Shiva as Swedharanyeshwarar and

Goddess Parvati as Brahma Vidya Nayaki

A m b a l ( B r a h m a v i d y a n a y a k i ) .

Swetharanyeswarar Temple enshrines a

separate sanctum sanctorum for Bhudhan

or Bhudan, one the nine Navagrahas .

The name Thiruvenkadu, also spelled

Thiruvengadu, means ‘sacred white forest’

(Ven means white and Kadu means forest).

It is said that this place was surrounded by

thick forests on all sides and when seen

from a distance, it looked white, and hence

Swetharanyeswarar Temple Thiruvenkadu

Navagraha Sthalam Tamilnadu

Temple History

continued on page 7

jyotisha

6

the name. In Sanskrit it is known as

Swetaranyam (Swetam means white and

Aranyam means forest). The place also

bears various names such as Jnana-

aranya, (forest of wisdom), Patala Kailas

and Aadi Chidambaram.

Thiruvenkadu Temple is surrounded by five

prakarams known as pancha prakarams.

Here the Lord is consecrated in His forms as

Aghoramurthi (manifestation of His wild and

angry form) and Nataraja (a manifestation of

Shiva, assumed as the Lord of Dance). The

Nataraja image holds seven instruments

and weapons, namely, Vetalam, Khadgam,

Udukku, Mani, Kedayam, Kapalam and

Trisulam.

A unique feature about Swetharanyeswarar

Temple is that the image of Lord Shiva has

five faces, Easanam, Tatpurusham,

Aghoram, Vamadevam and Sadyojatam.

The posture of Nandi at the entrance is

another unique feature here. It bears nine

scars on its body and is seated at the

entrance of Devi’s shrine. The face is turned

towards the Lord’s shrine and ears cocked

towards that of Devi, signifying that it is

ready to receive orders from the Divine

Couple. Devi in Her divine form of

Bhadrakali has a separate shrine. Besides,

there are separate shrines for Ashta

Lakhsmis and the Navagrahas.

Swetharanyeswarar Temple has three

theerthams (holy tanks) called as Agni

Theertham, Surya Theertham and Chandra

Theertham which are said to have been

created out of the three drops which fell from

Lord Shiva's eyes when he was dancing.

The sthala vrikshams are also three in

number - Vilvam, Vadaval and Konrai. The

stone inscriptions on the walls of the

temples depict important historical

information on the Chola Dynasty and about

several kings of Vijayanagar. The rivers,

Kaveri and Manikarnika, run near the holy

shrine.

Worship to Lord Shiva's fiery form

Temple Architecture

Worship

Aghoramurthy is considered to be of great

importance especially on Sunday nights.

Budhan is the planetary ruler for knowledge,

music, astrology, Maths, sculpting, medicine

and language skills. Wednesdays are very

auspicious to Budha and offering pooja on

this day is believed to rectify any Budhan

Dhosham in horoscope. Budha is attired in

green and can be offered with green moong

dhal, white kanthal flower and green cloth.

The temple has three water tanks – The

Surya (Sun) kulam, the Soma (Moon) kulam

and the Agni (Fire) kulam named after

Shiva’s three eyes. (Kulam means water

tank) Bathing in these tanks and worshiping

Shiva here for 45 days is believed to be

particularly efficacious for couples praying

for a child.

The most important festival is the float Thiruvenkadu Temple Festivals

festival which is celebrated on the last day of

12 day celebrations in the Tamil month of

Maasi (February - March).

The temple is opened from 6 AM to 12.00

PM and 4 PM to 9 PM

Swetharanyeswarar Temple is situated 23

kilometers away from Mayiladuthurai, on the

Sirkali – Poompuhar linking road. The

temple is 10 km from Sirkazhi and 59 km

from Kumbakonam.

Shiyali Railway Station, Thanjavur is the

nearest railway station, about 9 km from the

temple. Thiruvenkadu is accessible by road

from Vaitheeswaran Koil railway station and

Semponnar Koil railway station as well.

Temple Timings

How to reach Swetharanyeswarar Temple at

Thiruvenkadu

To be continued...

u March 2013 7

jyotisha

The Navagrahas