Address

Sivakasi Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Virudhunagar

Sivan Sannathi Road, Parasakthi Colony,

Sivakasi, Virudhunagar district,

Tamil Nadu 626123

Moolavar

Kasi Viswanathar (Shiva)

Amman

Visalakshi (Parvathi)

Introduction

Kasi Viswanathar Temple in Sivakasi, a town in Virudhunagar district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the god Shiva. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is believed to have been built by Pandyan ruler Harikesari Parakkirama Pandian during the 16th century, with later additions from Madurai Nayaks. Shiva is worshipped as Kasi Viswanathar and his consort Parvathi as Visalakshi. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Puranic Significance

As per legend, a Pandya king Harikesari Parakkirama Pandian wanted to construct a temple for god Shiva at Tenkasi and went to Kasi to bring a lingam, the most common iconic representation of Shiva in South India. While returning to his palace with the prized lingam, he rested under the grove of a vilva tree, the favorite tree of Shiva. When a cow carrying the lingam refused to move from the spot, the king realized that it was a divine wish of Shiva, and he placed the lingam in the place where the cow halted. The place where the “shivalingam brought from Kasi” was installed came to be known as Sivakasi. Since he brought the lingam from Kasi, it came to be known as Kasi Viswanathar temple

Special Features

The temple is located in the Bazaar Street, a busy business locality in Sivakasi. The temple has a three-tiered gopuram (temple tower). The temple has a pillared hall from the entrance leading to the flagstaff hall. The sanctum is located axial to the entrance facing east. The image of Kasi Viswanathar in the form of lingam is housed in the sanctum. The images of Vinayaka and Subramanya are located on either side of the hall leading to the sanctum. The shrine of Sivakami is located parallel to the sanctum facing East. There is a second flagstaff located axial to the Sivakami shrine and perpendicular to the flagstaff facing Viswanathar shrine. The right of the main entrance facing the Sivakami shrine is the temple water tank. There are smaller shrines of Ayyappa, Dakshinamurthy,Arumugar, Durga, Navagrahas and Nataraja in the precinct around the shrines of Kasi Viswanatha and Visalakshi.

Festivals

There are various festivals celebrated in the temple. The Brahmostavam festival during the Tamil month of Vaiakasi (May – June) is the most prominent festival celebrated in the temple. Nataraja Thirumanjana during Aani (June – July), Visalakshi Tapas festival during Aadi (July – August), Moola festival during Aavani (August – September), Navarathri, Soorasamharam during Aipassi (October – November), Karthikai festival, Thiruvathirai, Thaipoosam, Sivarathri, Panguni Uthiram are the other festival celebrated in the temple.