Monday 18 March 2024

Sri Kasi Viswanathar Temple / அருள்மிகு காசி விசுவநாதர் திருக்கோவில், Kumbakonam, Kumbakonam District ( Thanjavur District ), Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Kasi Viswanathar Temple, close to Mahamaham Tank, at Kumbakonam was a part of Divya Desams around Kumbakonam and Thanjavur Visit on 10th and 11th 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 Kasi Viswanathar
Consort    : Sri Visalakshi

Some of the salient features of this temple are….
The temple is facing west with a 5 tier Rajagopuram. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Dwarapalakas on flat stone slabs are after the Rajagopuram. Moolavar is on a square avudayar. In koshtam. Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and Durgai. Nalvars are in the ardha Mandapam

In praharam Vinayagar, Bairavar, Suryan, Saniswaran, Chandran, Saptamatrikas,  Anjaneyar and Mahishamardini ( on pillars ), Somaskandar, Nava kannis, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Gajalakshmi, Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna, Sarayu, Natarajar, and Navagrahas.

Nava kannis - Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna and Sarayu.

Saptamatrikas


ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam and maha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on an upanam and Adhistanam. The adhistanam is on the padma peetam with jagathy, threepatta kumudam and pattika. The Bhitti starts with vedika. The Pilasters are of Vishnu kantha pilasters with square base, kalasam, kudam, mandi, palakai and poo mottu pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi and kapotam with nasikudu.

A tala bricks vesara Vimanam is on the prastaram. Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, Brahma are on the Tala, Greeva koshtas. Ashtadikpalakas are also on the greeva koshtams.




HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The temple belongs to early Chozha’s period ie 09th to 10th century and latter reconstructed by Vijayanagaras and Thanjavur Nayaks.

An inscriptions records that this temple participated in 1992 and 2004 Mahamaham Theerthavari.

Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 07th July 1985,  09th February 2014.




LEGENDS
It is believed that Shri Shiva  used to lead all the sacred nine rivers also called as Nava kannis ( Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna and Sarayu ), to cleanse their Sin through taking bath in the Mahamaham Tank on Masi Magam Day. This is depicted in the form of stucco images on the arch in front of the Temple Rajagopuram.  

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular poojas special poojas are conducted on pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Masi Magam nakshatra day, Mahamaham theerthavari, etc,.

One of the speciality of this temple is, for any celebrations in temples in Kumbakonam, putru man / anthill mud will be taken from this temple except Nageswara Swamy temple,

This Sri Kasi Viswanathar Temple is one of the 12 Shiva Temples, that participates in Mahamaham Theerthavari festival, which occurs once in 12 Years. The 12 Shiva temples and 5 Vaishnava temples of Kumbakonam used to join  and celebrate this Mahamaham festival.

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,

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 +91435 2400658, 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







--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

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