CHIDAMBARAM - KUMBAKONAM - THANJAVUR (FROM CHENNAI)

About Thillai Nataraja Temple

At a distance of 2 km from Chidambaram Bus Station, Thillai Nataraja Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located in Chidambaram town of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the ancient temples in South India, and among the must include places in Chidambaram tour packages. Also referred to as the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple or Chidambaram Temple, the temple is dedicated to Nataraja, the cosmic dance form of Lord Shiva. It is one of the five Panchbootha Sthalas of Lord Shiva, representing the element of space. Chidambaram, the name of the city literally means 'stage of consciousness'.

History of Thillai Nataraja Temple

The temple's origins remain shrouded in some mystery, but historical evidence suggests a Shiva shrine existed at the site well before the 7th century AD, when the town was referred to as Thillai. The Chola dynasty, who revered Nataraja as their family deity, significantly .....

About Vaitheeswaran Koil Temple

At a distance of 17 Km from Mayiladuthurai, 27 Km from Chidambaram, 54 Km from Kumbakonam and 94 Km from Thanjavur, Vaitheeswaran Koil is a temple town situated in the Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu. This town is renowned for the Vaidyanatha Swamy Temple, also referred to as Pullirukkuvelur. Among the must-include places in the Chidambaram pilgrimage packages, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, worshipped as Vaidyanathar or Vaitheeswaran, meaning 'God of healing', and it is believed that prayers to Vaitheeswaran can cure diseases. It is one of the Navagraha temples in Tamil Nadu associated with the planet Mars (Angaraka), and is the 16th temple of the 276 dedicated to Lord Shiva on the northern bank of River Cauvery called Paadal Petra Sthalams by the Tevaram hymns of 7th-century Saiva nayanars, the Tamil saint poets.

History of Vaitheeswaran Koil Temple

The .....

About Adi Kumbeswarar Temple

At a distance of 2.5 Km from Kumbakonam Railway Station, Adi Kumbeswarar Temple, also known as Thirukudamooku, is a famous Hindu temple located in the center of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is one of the prominent temple in Tamil Nadu, and among the must include places in Kumbakonam tour packages. Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Adi Kumbeswarar, represented by a lingam, while his consort Parvati is honored as Mangalambigai Amman. The main deity is celebrated in the 7th-century CE Tamil Saiva scripture, the Tevaram, composed by the Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanmars. It is recognized as the 26th Paadal Petra Sthalam within the Chola dynasty, which extended south of the River Cauvery.

History of Adi Kumbeswarar Temple

Among the top pilgrimage sites in Tamil Nadu, Adi Kumbakonam Temple was constructed .....

About Ramaswamy Temple

At a distance of 2 Km from Kumbakonam Railway Station, Ramaswamy Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located on the southeastern portion of the Porthamarai Tank in Kumbakonam. This temple is dedicated to Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and is reagrded as one of the most prominent places to visit in Kumbakonam. It is one of the five Vishnu temples associated with the Mahamaham festival, which occurs every 12 years in Kumbakonam. The other four temples include Sarangapani Temple, Chakrapani Temple, Rajagopalaswamy Temple, and Varahaperumal Temple.

History of Ramaswamy Temple

The Ramaswamy Temple's construction commenced in the 16th century under the leadership of Govinda Dikshitar, a chieftain serving Achutha Nayakar of Thanjavur (1560-1614), and was completed during the rule of Raghunatha Nayak (1600-34). Additionally, he incorporated a commercial .....

About Sarangapani Temple

At a distance of 2 km from Kumbakonam Railway Station, Sarangapani Temple is a Hindu temple situated near Adi Kumbeswarar Temple in Kumbakonam. Also known as Thirukudanthai, or Kumbakonam koyil, the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Here, the deity is holding a bow in the hand hence the name Sarangapani where Sarangam means bow and pani means hand. The Sarangapani Temple is also one of the Pancha Ranga Khestras located along the banks of the Kaveri River with the other four being Srirangapatnam, Srirangam, Appalarangam, and Vatarangam at Sirkazhi. It is one of the must include places in Kumbakonam pilgrimage packages.

The Sarangapani Temple is acknowledged as the sixth of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu, celebrated in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the twelve poet saints known as Alvars. Additionally, it is esteemed as one of the Pancha Kshethram, where Goddess .....

At a distance of 1 km from Kumbakonam Railway Station, Mahamaham Tank is a huge temple tank located in the heart of Kumbakonam town in Tamil Nadu. It is considered to be the foremost and one of the largest temple tanks in Tamil Nadu, and among the must-visit Kumbakonam tourist places.

The tank covers an area of 6.2 acres and is trapezoidal in shape. The tank is surrounded by 16 small Mandapams (shrines) and has 21 wells inside the tank. Govinda Dikshitar, the chieftain of Ragunatha Nayak of Thanjavur, constructed the sixteen Mandapams and stone steps around this tank. Brahmatheerthesar, Mukunthar, Thalesar, Rishakesar, Umaipakesar, Nairuthesar, Brahmeesar, Gangatheerthesar, and Seshtra Paleesar, are the names of deities located in these Mandapams. It is one of the most prominent places to visit as part of Kumbakonam trip.

There are 21 wells .....

About Darasuram Airavatheswar Temple

At a distance of 8 Km from Kumbakonam, and 34 Km from Thanjavur, Airavatheswar Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located at Darasuram town near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the popular heritage sites in Tamil Nadu, and among the best places to visit as part of Kumbakonam tour. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Airavatesvara Temple in Darasuram is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, alongside the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur and the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram, collectively known as the Great Living Chola Temples. It is part of a group of 18 significant medieval Hindu temples in the Kumbakonam region. The temple also honors the traditions of Vaishnavism and Shaktism within Hinduism, along with the narratives associated with the Nayanmars of Shaivism.

History of Darasuram Airavatheswar Temple

Popularly called as Darasuram Temple, .....

About Dhenupureeswarar Temple

At a distance of 8 Km from Kumbakonam, the Sri Dhenupureeswarar, also known as Thenupureeswarar Temple, is a Hindu temple located in the village of Patteeswaram, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the popular places to visit as part of the Kumbakonam heritage packages. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is worshiped here as Thenupureeswarar, and is represented by the lingam. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century CE Tamil Saiva canonical text, the Tevaram, composed by the Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars, and is recognized as a Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is linked to the legend of Sambandar, who is said to have prompted Nandi to reposition himself for a direct view of the presiding deity.

History of Dhenupureeswarar Temple

Patteeswaram Temple is thought to have been constructed by the Chola dynasty between 866 and 1004 CE. Architectural .....

About Brihadeeswarar Temple

At a distance of 2 km from Thanjavur Junction Railway Station, the Brihadeeswarar Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located on the banks of the Kaveri River in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil or Periya Kovil, it is one of the famous heritage places to visit in Tamilnadu, and among the must include places in Thanjavur tour packages. Also known as The Big Temple, Brihadeeswarar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is famous for its grandeur and beautiful sculptures.

It is one of the largest Hindu temples in India, and an exemplar of Tamil architecture. It is also called Dakshina Meru (Meru of the South). The temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the 'Great Living Chola Temples', along with the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple and Airavatesvara Temple. It is one of the most visited heritage sites in Tamil Nadu.

History .....

At a distance of 2 km from Thanjavur Railway Station, and 1.5 km from Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur Palace is a wonderful historical structure in the town of Thanjavur. It is one of the famous Thanjavur tourist places.

Also known as Maratha Palace or Nayak Palace, it was the official residence of the Maratha rulers from 1674 to 1855. It was constructed partly by Thanjavur Nayaks around 1550 CE and expanded by the Marathas. The palace is noted for its huge halls, spacious corridors, observation and arsenal towers, and a shady courtyard. This palace is a must-visit place for history buffs to understand the history and lifestyle of its rulers as part of Thanjavur tour.

The entrance to the palace is a large quadrangular courtyard which is encircled by walls with big gateways to the north and the east. The courtyard leads to a many-pillared hall. .....