Abhi Mukheswarar Temple / அபி முகேஸ்வரர் சிவாலயம், Kumbakonam. Kumbakonam District, ( Thanjavur District ), Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Abhi Mukheswarar Temple, close to Mahamaham Tank, at Kumbakonam was a part of Divya Desams around Kumbakonam and Thanjavur Visit on 10^th and 11^th February 2024, organized by Culture Circuit. This is also one of the 12 temples, that participates in Mahamaham festival, which celebrates once in 12 years.

Moolavar  :  Sri Abhi Mukheswarar

Consort    :  Sri Amirthavalli

Some of the salient features of this temple are….

The temple is facing west with a 3 tier Rajagopuram. Dwajasthambam, balipeedam and Rishabam are after the Rajagopuram. Dwarapalakas are in front of sanctum sanctorum. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Ardhanareeswarar, Brahma and Durgai.

In praharam, Chandikeswarar, Nagars, Bairavar ( two, Swarna Bairavar ), Adipooramman and Shiva Lingas.

Ardhanareeswarar

Brahma

Bairava

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, and mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bada bandha adhistanam with jagathy, threepatta kumudam, and pattika. The Bhitti starts with vedika and the Pilasters are of brahma kantha pilasters with kalasam, kudam, palakai, vettu pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi, and kapotam with nasi kudus. The one tala bricks vesara Vimanam is on the prastaram. Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, Brahma are on tala and greeva koshtams. Ashtadikpalakas are also on the tala and greevam. The Sigaram is of vesara style.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The original temple belongs to 09^th to 10^th century Chozha Period. Latter reconstructed by the Thanjavur Nayakas and Marathas period.

Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 26^th October 2015.

LEGENDS

It is believed that Shri Shiva gave darshan to all the sacred nine rivers also called as Nava kannis ( Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna and Sarayu ), and took them to cleanse their Sin after taking bath in the Mahamaham Tank on masi Maham Day. Hence Shiva is called as Abhimukeshwarar

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas special poojas are conducted on pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Masi Magha nakshatra day, Mahamaham theerthavari, etc,.

This is one of the 12 Shiva Temples, that participates in Mahamaham Theerthavari festival, which occurs once in 12 Years. The list of 12 Shiva temples and 5 Vaishnava temples of Kumbakonam used to join  and celebrate this Mahamaha festival are given below.

Shiva Temples are…

1.          Kasi Viswanathar Temple,

2.          Adi Kumbeswarar Temple,

3.          Someswarar Temple,

4.          Nageswaraswamy Temple,

5.          Kalahasteeswarar Temple,

6.          Gauthameswarar Temple,

7.          Kodeeswarar Temple,

8.          Amirthakadeswarar Temple,

9.          Banapuriswarar Temple,

10.      Abhi Mukheswarar Temple,

11.      Kambatta Viswanathar Temple and

12.      EkambareswararTemple.

The Maha Vishnu Temples are…

1.          Sarangapani Temple,

2.          Chakrapani Temple, 

3.          Ramaswamy Temple,

4.          Rajagopalaswamy Temple, and

5.          Varaha Perumal Temple.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 21.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

The land line number 0435 – 2420276, may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH

The temple is 1 KM from Kumbakonam Railway Station and Kumbakonam Bus Stand.

The temple is about 36 KM from Thiruvaiyaru, 44 KM from Thanjavur, 47 KM from Thiruvarur and 282 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway Station is Kumbakonam.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE  : CLICK HERE

This lady sculpture is installed along with Nagars. May be a naga kanni or hero stone. Since turmeric is applied, couldn't be identified 

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---