Sri Agneeswarar Temple Thirukattupalli, Thanjavur

SRI AGNEESWARAR TEMPLE

Tirukattupalli, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, India

God

The main deity of this temple is Agneeswarar, who is an incarnation of Lord Shiva faces East direction and He is swayambhu.

Goddess

Goddess Soundaryanayaki and Azhagammai are consorts of Agneeswarar.

Interesting Facts

This Temple is the 126th Devaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 9th Sthalam on the North side of river Cauvery of Tamilnadu.

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 - December to February (28°C during day and 19°C during night)Monsoon season – July 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
Thanjavur New Bus Stand	22.8 KM	1800-419-4287
Budalur Railway Station	8 KM	139
Tiruchirappalli International Airport	40 KM	07373774163

Railway Station Name	Distance	Contact Number
Budalur Railway Station	8 KM	139

Airport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Tiruchirappalli International Airport	40 KM	07373774163

Architecture

Origin of the Name - Once all the Devas assembled here and prayed to the Lord. Agni Bhagavan had a special request since he burns all the evils of the devotees who perform homams, he had to carry their sins. He is also blamed as anything touched by him is charred. He requested the Lord to give him relief. Pleased with his prayers, Lord asked him to dig a well (Agni theertham) and use that water to perform abishekam. When Agni did it, all his burdens disappeared and he became pure again. He was also given the boon that henceforth he would not be burdened with the sins of the devotees. Hence the Lord is called Agneeswarar. Since the Tamil name for Agni is Thee, he is also known as Theeyaadiyappar.

The temple faces East direction and built in Dravidian style of architecture. It has 5-tier Raja gopuram. The flag post (Kodimaram or Dwaja sthamba) is covered by copper. The sanctum is 4 steps below the ground level and the entrance is too small. This temple with 3 prakarams (outer courtyard) occupies an area of about an acre. Stone inscriptions of Sundara Pandyan and Konerinmai Kondan period are seen in the Melai Thirukattupalli Temple. Inscriptions refer to Ambaal as Azhagar Mangai. Inscriptions also say that one of the Generals of Rajaraja Chola-I named Krishnan-Raman alias Mummadi-Chola-Brammarayan hailed from the nearby village called Palamaneri. Brahmins belonging to a particular sect of Iyers called Brahatcharanam regard themselves as the descendants of Krishnan Raman. A fort was constructed next the Shiva Temple during the Thanjavur Nayaks period which was captured by the forces of the British East India Company in 1771, it was recaptured by Hyder Ali in 1781. On the right side of front hall (Maha mandapam) are Bhairava and Nalvar the four – the authors of Thevaram and Tiruvasagam – Gnanasambandar, Tirunavukkarasar, Sundarar and Manickavasagar. Idols of Bhairavar and Nalvar can be found in the mandapam in the inner precinct. There is a koneru named as Surya theertham, Agni theertham.

Religious Significance

The story goes that a servant of king of Urayur brought some Sevvandhi flowers meant for Shiva Puja and gave it to the king. The king in turn gave them to his two wives. The elder wife offered it to Lord Shiva while the other wore it on her head. While Tirukattupalli where the first wife lived grew into fame, Urayur where the second wife lived met with destruction. Praised by Ganasambandar and Tirunavukkarasar (7th century C.E.) in Thevaram hymns, Origin of Vedas, holds Mazhu, Taught essence of scriptures, rings Dancing in ears, handsome, Tamilnadu king of Kattupalli, my Lord, I sing his glory. This is the 9th temple on the Southern bank of Cauvery.

History

The temple was built 7th century C.E. by Uthama Cholan, Aditya Chola-I. Uthama Chola was one of the major contributors and this is revealed from the inscriptions in this temple.

Temple Timings

Day	Timings
All Days	05:00 AM - 12:00 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