01Kochengan’s raised shrine
Sambandar’s padigam on Vaikal, in the third Tirumurai, says in its fourth verse that the temple was raised by the Chola Kochengan, the king who had been a spider at Tiruvanaikka. Unlike most maadakoils, where only the inner shrine is lifted, the whole temple sits on its platform, reached by steps from the south. The temple’s katha says Lakshmi did tapas here in a forest of shenbaga trees, and Vishnu, Bhudevi and Brahma joined her in worship. Vaikal has two other Shiva temples, Viswanathar and Brahmapureeswarar, and the village keeps all three.
Visiting
About 12 km from Kumbakonam, in the interior; come by private vehicle in daylight. It pairs with Tirunallam, Tiruneelakkudi and Tirukkozhambam on one route.
