हिंदीOn this day
Standing

Agastheeswarar Temple, Agathiyanpalli

Where Agastya, sent south to balance the earth at Shiva’s wedding, was shown the wedding form. Sambandar sang the shrine, 3 km from Vedaranyam.

Built: Chola temple with inscriptions of Rajaraja I, Rajendra I and Kulothunga I; three-tiered gopuramWhere: Tamil Nadu (Nagapattinam district, near Vedaranyam)Deity: Bhagwan Shiva as Agastheeswarar; Devi as Mangai Nayaki (Bhagampriyal)10.36° N, 79.85° E
Photo: Ssriram mt · CC BY-SA 4.0

01Agastya’s vision

When all the devas gathered on Kailasa for the wedding of Shiva and Parvati, the earth tipped north, and Shiva sent Agastya south to set it level. Grieved to miss the wedding, Agastya was promised he would see it wherever he wished, and the temple’s katha says he saw it here; Agastya has his own shrine. Sambandar’s verse says those who sing of Agathiyanpalli, where the Lord dances in the burning ground wearing a garland of skulls, are free of sin. Inscriptions of Rajaraja I, Rajendra I and Kulothunga I record gifts, and a Pandya Kulasekhara inscription records that the king was cured of illness after praying here.

Visiting

3 km from Vedaranyam, with town buses; Kodikkarai is a little further south.

Nearby

VedaranyamStanding
Renaissance and the struggle for Swaraj

Vedaranyam

The coastal temple town where the four Vedas worshipped Shiva, and where C. Rajagopalachari made salt on 30 April 1930 at the end of the southern salt march, the Tamil country’s answer to Dandi.

Amritaghateswarar (Kodi Kuzhagar) Temple, KodikkaraiStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Amritaghateswarar (Kodi Kuzhagar) Temple, Kodikkarai

At the very tip of the Tamil coast, where a drop of amrita fell from the pot and became a linga. Sundarar came here with Cheraman Perumal and grieved that the Lord stood alone by the sea.

Sargunanathar Temple, IdumbavanamStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Sargunanathar Temple, Idumbavanam

Idumbavanam takes its name from Idumban, who worshipped Shiva here and was freed. Devotees come to be rid of the fear of death, for Yama too is said to have prayed here.

Karpaganathar Temple, Kadikkulam (Karpaganatharkulam)Standing
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Karpaganathar Temple, Kadikkulam (Karpaganatharkulam)

Karpagam is the wish-granting tree, and the Lord of Kadikkulam is named for it. Sambandar sang the shrine; the village is now called after the deity, Karpaganatharkulam.