Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it derives its name from the Sanskrit words Sarangam which mean ‘Bow of Vishnu’ and ‘Pani’ meaning hand. Being the tallest temple tower in Asia with 12 story Gopura of 150 feet, this is one of the top religious sites built by the Nayak Kings in the 16th century. The central shrine of the temple is in the form of a chariot in heaven drawn by horses and elephants. The deity is shown in a posture as if he is getting up from a reclining position. The temple boasts of 5 prakaras and a holy tank…
Author: Karthick
This temple is one of the religious sites that are a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, built in the 12th century by Rajaraja Chola II. The deity’s consort, Periya Nayaki Amman, has her temple situated near this temple. It is known as a storehouse of art and architecture with a vimana of 85 feet high and front mandapam of a huge chariot and some exquisite stone carvings. As per legend, Airavata, the white elephant of Indra and King of Death, Yama, worshipped Lord Siva in this temple.
Devoted to Lord Vishnu, this temple is named as Chakrapani Lord Vishnu and appears in the form of a discus or Chakra. According to legend, Lord Vishnu sent Sudarshana Chakra to Patal Lok to kill the demon Jalandasura and have come out through river Cauvery. God Brahma, who was taking bath in the river, got impressed and installed Sudarshana Chakra here. There is a bronze idol of King Serfoji II worshipping the Lord; who was cured of illness. It is believed who are mentally or physically weakened by illness or problems can be cured here. The Sun God worshipped Lord…
Built by Aditya Chola in the 9th century, Nageswaran Temple is known for great architecture, building technology and astronomy. This beautiful kumbakonam temple is built in such a way that it allows sunlight to fall on the idol only during the months of April or May for three days therefore popularly known as Surya Kottam Temple. Temple is crowded on these 3 days with devotees from all over the world to seek blessings of the deity.This temple is one of the religious sites dedicated to Lord Shiva, the serpent king. It is believed that the temple got its name Nageswaran, as…
Built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, The Lingam here is broad at the bottom and narrow at the top in the shape of a needle. This Lingam is believed to have been made by Shiva himself. Lord’s consort Goddess Manthrapeeteswari Mangalambika shrine is situated to the left of Kumbeswarar shrine. The Kumbeswarar Temple is an architectural marvel which reflects the typical Dravidian style. It is one large temple with 9 stories and a height of 128 ft. The unique feature of this temple is the 27-star sign and 12 zodiacs…
Kasi Viswanathar temple is in the heart of the city and is very close to the famous Mahamaham Tank. As one of the top religious sites, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This 72 feet high temple was established in the 16th century. The deity here is called Kasi Viswanathar and his wife as Visalakshi. There are other shrines as well. As per the Legend, Lord Rama and Lakshmana prayed here to Lord Shiva and got a blessing to slay Ravana. You will also find 9 rivers known as Nava Kannigas, who prayed to Lord Shiva at Varanasi to absolve…
At a distance of 36 km from Trichy, 39 km from Thanjavur & 42 km from Pudukkottai, the Malayadipatti Rock-Cut temples are situated on granite hillocks, south of the Malayadipatti village, also known as Thiru Valattur Malai. It is one of the famous places of heritage in Tamilnadu, and among the best places to visit as part of Trichy tour. There are two temples in Malayadipatti, one for Lord Shiva and the other for Lord Vishnu. Both temples are situated on the same hillock. Built in the 8th century by Pallavas, the Shiva temple is older than the Vishnu temple.…
Constantine Joseph Beschi (8 November 1680 – 4 February 1747), also known under his Tamil name of Vīramāmunivar, was an Italian Jesuit priest, missionary in South India, and Tamil language littérateur. Beschi was transferred to Vadugarpati (Vadugarpettai today). He worked here from 1717 till 1720. We are unable to know where Beschi was after 1720. But we learn that Beschi accompanied Bishop Pinheiro to Mylapore to Maravanad to collect information about the life of John de Britto, a Jesuit missionary. Beschi at Elakurichi In a letter dated 19-12-1726 written to Rome, Beschi introduces himself as already the Vicar Forane of Tanjavur. So we can safely presume Beschi was at Elakurichi…
Schwartz Church takes pride of place as one of the oldest churches of south India and was constructed during the reign of British in India. Today, it is not only a key tourist destination of Tamil Nadu but also has huge religious significance. Schwartz Church in Thanjavur is a legacy of the city’s colonial past. It is located in the Thanjavur Palace garden. The church is surrounded by pretty lawns and has many trees, making it a tranquil retreat from the chaos of the city. The Schwartz Church adjacent to the Sivaganga Park in Thanjavur was built by Raja Serfoji, the…
Our Lady of Lourdes Basilica, Poondi, is a Catholic pilgrimage center located in Tamilnadu, South India. Poondi is a small village located near Tirukattupalli in Thiruvaiyaru Taluk (also spelled as Taluka), about 33 km away from Thanjavur. Poondi is usually associated with Alamelupuram village located besides the Basilica and so is called as Poondi-Alamelupuram, officially. Poondi is a small hamlet sandwiched between the rivers Cauvery and Coleroon Alamelupuram. Poondi is believed to have got its name from Poondu, a shrub in Tamil, which grew in abundance here earlier. The hamlet is significant thanks to the renowned Poondi Madha Shrine (The Shrine…