हिंदीOn this day
Standing

Agneeswarar 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.

Built: Sung by Appar (7th century); Chola stone templeWhere: Tamil Nadu (Thanjavur district, near Aduthurai)Deity: Bhagwan Shiva as Agneeswarar with Karpagambal; Shukra (Venus)11.07° N, 79.50° E
  1. 7th century
Photo: Sathiyaraj · CC BY-SA 4.0

01Agni’s Lord

The sthala purana tells that Agni, the fire, worshipped Shiva here, and so the Lord is Agneeswarar. Appar sang him in the Tevaram, which places the temple among the Paadal Petra Sthalams. Kanjanur is also honoured as the birthplace of Haradatta Shivacharya, the Shaiva teacher whose devotion is still told in the village, and an image of him stands in the temple.

02Shukra in the linga

Shukra, the guru of the asuras and the graha of wealth, beauty and marriage, is not given a separate shrine here as the grahas are in the other temples. Devotees hold that Shiva in the sanctum is Shukra, and they worship the linga itself for the graha. Friday is the day; white flowers, white cloth and ghee lamps are offered, and many couples come here before a wedding.

The life of this place

  1. 7th centuryAppar sings the Lord of Kanjanur in the Tevaram.
Visiting

About 3 km from Suryanar Kovil and 18 km from Kumbakonam, so the two are usually seen on the same morning. Friday is Shukra’s day.

Nearby

Koteeswarar Temple, Tirukkodikka (Tirukodikaval)Standing
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Koteeswarar Temple, Tirukkodikka (Tirukodikaval)

A Chola stone temple raised by Sembiyan Mahadevi where the Kaveri flows north, with Bala Shani and Yama facing each other. Appar sang it three times and Sambandar once.

Masilamaninathar (Gomukteeswarar) Temple, TiruvavaduthuraiStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Masilamaninathar (Gomukteeswarar) Temple, Tiruvavaduthurai

Where Tirumular, author of the Tirumandiram, sat in tapas, and where Sambandar received a purse of gold for his father’s yajna. All three Tevaram singers sang it, and the great Adheenam has its seat inside.

Arunajateswarar Temple, TiruppanandalStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Arunajateswarar Temple, Tiruppanandal

The palm-grove shrine where the linga bent to take a girl’s garland, and Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar drew it upright with a rope round his own neck. Sambandar sang it.

Suryanar KovilStanding
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Suryanar 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.