| Sikkal Singaravelavar Temple |
Around
80 Kms from Thanjavur situated on Nagapattinam Tiruvarur
Main Road. The
ancient history says that here Lord Murugan got the 'Sakthi Vel' from Parvathi
(refered as Velnedunkanni amman in this temple ) and killed Suran. This temple
is one of the few temples in Tamilnadu which has both Siva and Vishnu in the
same campus. The ' Vel Vankuthal' festival in the Tamil month of Iyappasi is
very famous here.
|
| Vellankanni |
Shrine
of Our Lady of Vellankanni 90 Kms away, noted for the church
dedicated
to 'Our Lady of Health', attracts devotees of all faiths. |
| Nagore |
| 88 Kms away, is a famous Muslim pilgrimage site. People of all religion visit the Nagore durgah. |
| Sirkazhi |
Goddess
Parvathi gave Gnana milk to Thirugnana Sambandar here, when he
was a child. After this, he sang the famous Devaram. Lord Shiva
as Thoniappar resides in a thoni (boat). The boat symbolizes that
Thoniappar helps people cross their sea of birth. Every year during
Thiruvadirai Nakshatra of Chithirai month, the famous Thirumulaippal
Utsav is held. |
| Swamimalai |
Located
32 Kms away, Swamimalai is one of the six abodes (Arupadaiveedu)
dedicated
to Lord Murugan. Lord Murugan preached Pranava mantra "OM" to Lord Shiva and
that's why he is called Swaminathan. The 60 steps to the temple indicate the
60 years of the Tamil calendar. This temple is praised by Arunagirinadar. Every
Thursday, Lord Swaminathan is decorated with a Diamond Vel. |
| Thirukandiyur |
The
temples at Thirukandiyur are dedicated to Brahmasirekandeswarar
and Harshavimochana Perumal, and are famous for their fine sculptural
work. |
| Thiruvaiyaru |
13
Kms from Thanjavur, where the famous saint Thyagaraja lived and
attained samadhi. The famous temple at Thiruvaiyaru is dedicated
to Shiva, and is known as Panchanatheswara. An eight day music
festival is held here, every
January, in honour of the saint . |
| Thiruvarur |
55
Kms from Thanjavur, the Thyagarajaswami Temple is famous for the largest
temple chariot in Tamil Nadu. This vast temple houses Thyagaraja, Kamalamba
and Vanmikanathar and has been sung by the Saiva Saints. The pillars
and the halls here are of great beauty. Rajaraja Cholan was an ardent
devotee of Thyagarajaswami. This temple is also referred to us as Prithvi
(Earth)
Sthalam. Thiruvarur is also the birth place of Saint Thyagaraja. |
| Vaitheeswaran Kovil |
Vaitheeswaran,
Thaiyal Nayaki, Muthukumaraswamy (Shiva, Parvathi, Subramanya Swamy)
are the deities in this temple. An ancient temple dedicated to
Shiva - as Vaitheeswaran literally meaning the divine provider
of cures. Adorned with imposing towers, Mandapams and pillars,
this well visited shrine has been sung by the Saivite Saint Poets.
It is said that Angarakan - Mars, Kartikeya, Jatayu and the Rig
Veda worshipped Shiva here. This shrine is also referred to as
an Angarakasthalam
. |