01Lord of the white forest
Venkadu means white forest, and Swetharanya is the same name in Sanskrit. The Tevaram has padigams on this temple by all three of its poets, Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar. The sthala purana tells that the asura Maruttuvan, armed with a boon from Brahma, harassed the devas, and Shiva took the fierce Aghora form, with Nandi beside him bearing the wounds of the fight, to destroy him. That Aghora Murti has a shrine of its own and is worshipped on Sunday nights. Brahma Vidya Nayaki, the Devi of the temple, is prayed to by parents before a child begins its letters.
02Budha and the three tanks
Budha, the graha of learning and speech, has a shrine here, and Wednesday is his day. The temple has three tanks, the Surya, Chandra and Agni theerthams, and pilgrims bathe in all three. Thiruvenkadu lies a few kilometres from Poompuhar, the Kaveripattinam of the Sangam poems, and the temple’s Chola-period bronzes are among the finest found in the delta.
The life of this place
- 7th–8th centuryAppar, Sambandar and Sundarar sing the Lord of Thiruvenkadu.
About 10 km from Sirkazhi; combine with Keezhaperumpallam and Poompuhar on the coast. Wednesday is Budha’s day.
