Navagraha temples of the Kaveri delta
Around Kumbakonam lie nine temples, each linked with one of the nine grahas, the planetary powers that the Jyotisha Shastra holds to shape a person’s fortunes.
Eight are Shiva temples where the graha is worshipped in a separate shrine or as an aspect of the Lord; Suryanar Kovil alone is a temple of Surya with the other eight grahas around him. Devotees go round all nine, usually in two days from Kumbakonam, to ease the effects of a difficult graha in the horoscope, most of all Shani at Thirunallar. Several of them are also Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Temples in this circuit
StandingSuryanar Kovil
The one temple of the Kaveri Navagraha circuit where the graha himself is the presiding deity: Surya stands in the sanctum and the other eight grahas face him from their own shrines.
StandingKailasanathar Temple, Thingalur (Chandra)
The Chandra sthala of the Navagraha circuit, a small Shiva temple in the village of Appudi Adigal, the devotee who served Appar without ever having met him.
StandingVaidyanatha Temple, Vaitheeswaran Koil
The temple of Shiva the physician, where Devi stands with a vessel of healing oil and where the planet Angaraka (Mars) is worshipped as one of the nine Navagraha sthalas of the Kaveri delta.
StandingSwetharanyeswarar Temple, Thiruvenkadu (Budha)
The Budha sthala of the Navagraha circuit, a large Shiva temple of the ‘white forest’ near the old port of Poompuhar, with the rare Aghora form of Shiva and three sacred tanks.
StandingApatsahayeswarar Temple, Alangudi (Guru)
The Guru sthala of the Navagraha circuit. The village is named for the halahala poison that Shiva drank at the churning of the ocean, and Dakshinamurti here is worshipped as Guru.
StandingAgneeswarar Temple, Kanjanur (Shukra)
The Shukra sthala of the Navagraha circuit, where Agni worshipped Shiva; uniquely, Shukra here has no separate image and Shiva himself is worshipped as the graha.
StandingDharbaranyeswarar Temple, Thirunallar (Shani)
The Shani sthala of the Navagraha circuit, the most visited of the nine, where King Nala was freed from Shani’s grip after bathing in the Nala theertham.
StandingNaganathaswamy Temple, Thirunageswaram (Rahu)
The Rahu sthala of the Navagraha circuit, where the serpent-kings worshipped Shiva and Rahu is shown in human form with his two consorts.
StandingNaganathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (Ketu)
The Ketu sthala of the Navagraha circuit, a quiet village temple near the Kaveri’s mouth where, the sthala purana tells, the serpent Vasuki worshipped Shiva.