01Facing north, like Kashi
Shiva temples in Tamil country face east or west; Kadambanthurai faces north, towards the river, as Kashi Vishwanath faces the Ganga, and among the Kaveri’s Tevaram temples it is the one so turned. The temple says Shiva appeared to Maharshi Kanva under a kadamba tree here. Its other katha concerns the Sapta Kanyas, who helped Durga against the asura Dhumralochana; pursuing him into a forest hermitage, they struck down the meditating sage Katyayana by mistake, and the Devi sent them here to be freed of that sin. Their seven images stand behind the linga in the sanctum. The prakaram has images of all sixty-three Nayanmars and two stone Natarajas. Appar’s hymn is in the fifth Tirumurai, and Arunagirinathar sang the six-faced Murugan.
In Kulithalai town on the Kaveri, 34 km from Tiruchirappalli and 42 km from Karur; Kulithalai station is on the Tiruchirappalli–Karur line. It is the morning stop of the three-temple day with Vatpokki and Tiruveengoimalai.
