God
The main diety of this temple is Vaacheeswarar, who is an incarnation of Lord Shiva facing East direction. Lord Shiva here in Lingam form as a Swayambumurthi.
Goddess
Sri Than Kathali is consort of Lord Shiva, facing in East direction.
Interesting Facts
- The unique feature of this temple is that the shrines of Lord Shiva’s entire family is in a straight line.
Best Season To Visit
The best season to visit this temple is Winter season. The best months to visit are October to Febuary.
Weather
Highest - April to June (38°C during day and 26°C during night)Average - May (37 °C during the day and 25 °C during night)Lowest - October to February (30 °C during day and 21°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.
- Smo​king is strictly prohibited inside the temple premises.
transport connections
| Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
 Railady Bus Stand |
6.4 KM | 1800-221-250 |
 Kadambattur Railway Station |
5.3 KM | 139 |
 Chennai International Airport |
42.1 KM | 044-22560551 |
Architecture
Bamboo is called “Pasu Moongil” in Tamil. Since the lord here is believed to have been found in a bamboo forest, he is named “Sri Pachura Nathar” and the place is called “Thirupachur”. The temple is facing in East direction. The gopuram has a main tower (Raja gopuram) is 3-tiers and Dhwaja Stambham is placed infront of the temple. The vimanam (roof tower) of the sanctum sanctorum is designed in a special way that is exclusive to Pallava architecture, the Gaja Brishtam that looks like the rear of an elephant (Gaja-Elephant, Brishtam-Rear).
There were about 16 ancient stone inscriptions found in this temple. According to the inscriptions, this place is referred in ancient days as Thondai Mandalathu, Eekkaadu Kottathu, Kaakkalur Naattu Thiruppaasoor. There is a group of 11 Vinayakas placed in a hall in the middle of this temple called “Ekadasa Vinayaka” (Ekadasa means 11 in Sanskrit). There is a beautiful 4 pillared Urchava mandapam at the outer praakaaram used for rituals during festivals. There is a koneru outside the temple called as Mangala theertham.
Religious Significance
Legend associated with this temple is that once, a local chieftain called Kurumban failed to pay the taxes that were owed to his liege lord the Chola King Karikalan. Kurumban was an ardent devotee of Goddess Kali. When the king invaded his region for recovering the dues, the chieftain prayed to Kali who helped him defeat the king and his army. The king, being a Shiva devotee, prayed to Lord Shiva for his help. Lord Shiva sent Nandhi to control and bind Kali. Nandhi defeated Kali and bound her with a golden chain. To honour this incident, this temple has a shrine for “Swarna Kali” where Goddess Kali’s legs are bound. Evening pujas are performed in this shrine on full moon days. It is also believed that when Chola King Karikalan was constructing this temple, his enemy Kurumban with the help of some Jains (samanar) had sent a poisonous snake in a container to kill the king. Without knowing what was in it, he tried to open the container but Lord Shiva came in the form of a snake charmer, saved his life and blessed him. Hence the lord here is also known as “Pambatteswarar” ("Pambatti" means snake charmer in Tamil). In the competition between Lord Brahmma and Lord Vishnu, the former lied that he had seen the head of Lord Shiva. The palm shaped flower known as Thazhamboo for any pujas in Shiva temples. As an exemption, Lord Shiva allowed it to be used for the puja only on Shivrathri day. Accordingly, the flower is used only in one puja that day here placing it on the head of the lord. Worshipping the lord in this puja would relieve the devotee from the sin of speaking miles and also from arrogant traits. Mother Parvathi had to be born on earth as cursed by Lord Shiva as she went to attend the Yajna of her father Daksha against his wish. She came to Earth and performed severe penance to join the lord again. Lord came here saying “Oh! My Sweetheart.” Hence, mother is named than Kathali my sweetheart. People pray to mother for Conjugal unity. The place is also called Thangathalipuram after the name of mother also gave a false witness in his favour.
History
It is said that Goddess Parvathi worshipped Lord Shiva here. Pleased by her penance, it is believed that Lord Shiva addressed her as “Than Kathali” (meaning “beloved” in Tamil). It is also said that Lord Maha Vishnu worshipped Lord Shiva in this temple to seek absolution for the sin that he had accrued by killing the demons (asuras) Madhu and Kaithaba, who were believed to have stolen the vedas. As Lord Shiva absolved Lord Maha Vishnu’s sins here, he is also praised as “Perumal Vinai Theertha Easwarar”. It is believed that Chandran and Sage Kaushika have also worshipped Lord Shiva in this temple. The temple was built 1000 years ago by Chola King Karikalan.
Temple Timings
| Day | Timings | |
|---|---|---|
| All Days | 05:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 04:00 PM - 08:00 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 |
Local Transports
| Transport Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
| Local Transport | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
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