Kudanthai Sri Agora Veerabadra Temple, Thanjavur

Address

Kudanthai Sri Agora Veerabadra temple, Thanjavur

North Bank of Maha Magam Tank,

Kumbakonam-612 001,

Thanjavur district, Tamilnadu

Moolavar

Agora Veerabadra

Amman

Badrakai

Introduction

Location: Kudanthai village, Kumbakonam circle, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu.

Presiding Deity: Lord Sri Agora Veerabadra. Goddess Badrakali Amman.

Believed to be between 500 and 1000 years old.

Puranic Significance:

• Lord Veerabadra depicted with sharp teeth, holding a bow, arrow, sword, and danda.
• Daksha is shown in a bowing posture near the deity.
• Lord Veerabadra is also known as Gangai Veeran and Gangai Veereswarar.
• Guardian of the sacred rivers (Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswathi, Cauvery, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna, and Sarayu) who cleansed their sins at the Maha Magam tank.

Literary Significance:

• Thakka Yaga Parani by poet Ottakuthar, a key work celebrating Lord Veerabadra’s destruction of Daksha’s yagna.
• Moorka Nayanar, one of the 63 Nayanars, also served the Lord here.

Beliefs:

• Women pray for protection and child blessings.
• Devotees light Maa Vilakku (rice flour and ghee lamps) to fulfill wishes.
• Special abhishekam and offerings of vastras and betel leaves made once wishes are fulfilled.

Special Features:

• Temple faces west.
• Lord Shiva worshipped as Lord Kasi Viswanatha.
• Shrine for Lord Dakshinamurthy in the Goshta wall and Mother Rajarajeswari in the prakara.
• Thakka Yaga Barani staged here.

Festivals:

• Panguni Rohini star day festival in March-April.
• Maha Shivaratri in February-March with five pujas performed on this day.

Century/Period

1000 Years old

Managed By

Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE)

Nearest Bus Station

Kudanthai

Nearest Railway Station

Kumbakkonam

Nearest Airport

Trichy

Location on Map

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