Kudanthai Keezhakottam Sri Nageswaraswamy Temple, Kumbakonam

Deity: Nageswaraswamy Amman: Brahandnayagi
Temple Address: Kudanthai Keezhakottam Sri Nageswarswamy Temple, Kumbakonam Post & Taluk, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu – 612 001. Tele: +91 435 243 0386.
Open between: 05:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 04:30 AM to 08:30 AM

Introduction

Nageswaraswamy Temple, Kumbakonam is dedicated to Shiva located in Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil poet saints known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is counted as the earliest of all Chola temples. Shiva in the guise of Nagaraja, the serpent king.. There are many inscriptions associated with the temple indicating contributions from Cholas, Thanjavur Nayaks and Thanjavur Maratha kingdom. The oldest parts of the present masonry structure were built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions, including the towering gopuram gatehouses, are attributed to later periods, up to the Thanjavur Nayaks during the 16th century. Theertham (Holy water): Mahaamaham tank Sthala Vriksham (Sacred Tree): Vilvam tree

Puranic Significance

Pralayam & Amutha Kalas:
- At the end of every yuga, a massive flood (Pralayam) destroys all life.
- Lord Shiva, through Brahma, preserved the seeds of life, Vedas, and Puranas in a pot (Amutha Kalas).
- The pot, filled with nectar (amirtham), was decorated and placed atop Mount Kailash.
- During the Maha Pralayam, it floated on the seas for years before settling in Kumbakonam.
- Lord Shiva, as Kiratha Murthy, broke open the pot, allowing life to flourish again.
Worship by Adhisheshan (Serpent King):
- Adhisheshan (Nagaraja) holds the earth in place but grew weak.
- He sought Lord Shiva’s help to regain his strength.
- Shiva advised him to worship at this temple in Kumbakonam.
- Adhisheshan installed a Shivalingam and gained the power to support the earth with a single head instead of a thousand.
- Due to this worship, Shiva is revered as Sri Nageswarar.
Gangai Vinayakar – A Chola War Trophy:
- Chola King Rajendra brought back a Vinayakar statue from his Ganges expedition as a war trophy.
- The statue was placed in this temple and named Sri Gangai Vinayakar.
- This deity is located in the hall before the sanctum sanctorum.
Worship by Celestial Beings:
- Serpents Adhiseshan, Dakshan, and Kaarkotakan worshipped Lord Shiva here.
- Surya (Sun God) and King Nala also offered prayers at this temple.

Beliefs

Devotees can worship the lord here between 4.30 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. (Rahukala time) on Sundays to get relief from all types of ailments. It is also believed that worshiping Lord Shiva here will result in the reunion of estranged couples. Devotees believe that by worshiping the lord here, obstacles from their marriage proposals will be removed. Lord Jurahara Ganapathy is very famous here – (“Juram” means fever in Tamil). For any kind of fever, devotees can pray to this lord for relief. They perform abhishekam of the lord with offerings of rice, pepper “rasam” and dal paste (“Thokaiyal”).

Special Features

Other than the shrines of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathy, shrines and idols of lords Vinayakar, Murugan with his consorts, Natarajar, Somaskandar, Sapthamaadakkal, Valanchuzhi Vinayakar, Gajalakshmi, Adhisheshan and Iyanar can be seen in the corridors.Also in the corridors are the Saptha Vidanga lingams – Sri Thiyagarajar (Thiruvarur), Sri Darbaranya Nathar (Thirunallaru), Sri Kayaarohaneswarar (Nagapattinam), Sri Kannayiranathar (Thirukkaravasal), Sri Vaaimurnathar (Thiruvaaimur), Sri Solinganathar (Thirukkuvalai) and Sri Maraikattu Manaalanathar (Vedaranyam). There is a separate shrine for Goddess Parvathy in the outer corridor. In the “koshtam” (place surrounding the sanctum sanctorum), idols of Vinayakar, Dakshinamurthy, Arthanareeswarar, Brahma, Durgai and Chandikeswarar can be seen. There are separate shrines in the corridors for Sri Pralayakala Rudrar, Juragara Vinayakar, Goddess Thaiyalnayaki with Sri Vaithiyanathaswamy, Goddess Padaivetti Mariamman and Suryan.

Festivals

Maasi Maham” Brahmotsavam in the Tamil month of Masi (Feb-Mar) is celebrated here in a grand manner. Almost all festivals related to Shiva temples are celebrated in this temple.