Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Pasupateeswarar	Ambal / Thayar:	KampanathoLi Ammai, Venubhujambikai
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:	TiruppanthaNainallur
Vriksham:	Sara Kondrai	Teertham:	Surya Teertham
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	6 to 12 & 4 to 8	Parikaram:
Temple group:	Paadal Petra Sthalam (Kaveri Vada Karai)	–
Sung by:	Sambandar, Appar	Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Pandanallur	District:	Thanjavur
Maps from (click):	Current location	Mayiladuthurai (17 km)	Kumbakonam (29 km)
	Thiruvarur (51 km)	Ariyalur (59 km)

Location

Pandanallur is located 10km from Tiruppanandal, on the road to Vaitheeswaran Koil. Kumbakonam is 30 km away and Tiruvidaimaruthur is 23 km away.

Sthala puranam and temple information

Parvati wished to play with her maids and requested lord Siva for help. The Lord made balls using the four Vedas and gave her those to play with. Parvati was so immersed in playing that the game was extended beyond scheduled sunset. Suryan also was waiting for the game to be over, which upset the evening schedules of rishis undertaking the sandhyavandanam, and so they requested Suryan to stick to his schedule.

But Suryan was scared to incur Parvati’s wrath and refused their request. The rishis, represented by Narada, went to Lord Siva for help, and He came to Parvati to ask her to stop the game. But she failed to see or hear him as she was immersed in her games. Lord Siva lost his temper and threw the balls away. He also cursed her to be born as a cow on the earth at the place where the balls would come to rest. Lord Vishnu, pitying his sister, took the role of a shepherd and went with her. Every day, the shepherd would take the cow to graze during the day, and in the evening, give its milk to Sage Kanva. One day the shepherd observed lesser quantity of milk, and followed the cow the next day. The cow went into the Sarakondrai forest and poured milk on an anthill. As the shepherd neared, the cow ran away, and disturbed the anthill, revealing a Lingam underneath. Immediately, Parvati and Vishnu regained their original forms. Parvati, having completed her penance, requested Lord Siva for mercy and prayed to be married to him. Siva consented and gave darshan to everyone in Kalyana kolam after marrying Parvati.

As the Vedas, represented by balls (pandu in Tamil), came here to rest here (vandhuadaintha), this place was called pandu vandhuanainda nallur, which later on changed to Pandanallur.

All the nine planets were witness to the marriage and so the navagrahams here are seen in a single line instead of the usual arrangement.

Lord Siva is in the temple as Kalyana Sundarar – his form as a wedding groom. Vishnu has a separate shrine here (Aadi Nayaka Perumal).

The son of king Annapuram Mrithyunjayan of Saiyagiri got relieved of his leprosy by praying here. King Kanthan of Kamboj recovered from a mysterious disease by undertaking penance for 45 days and taking bath in the temple tank.

Brahma, Suryan, Indra and Sage Kanva had prayed here to Lord Siva.

This temple is believed to have been originally built and renovated by a king named Kambeli and later on by Raja Raja Chola I, up to Raja Raja Chola III, and also by the Vijayanagara dynasty. This village was originally known as Kondraivanam, as it was supposed to have been a forest of Kondrai flowering trees.

Other information for your visit

Kumbakonam is a temple town, and there are a number of temples in and around Kumbakonam. Please visit the pages on Kumbakonam, Near: Kumbakonam, and Near 25: Kumbakonam, for more information on these.

Kumbakonam and its outskirts (including Tiruvidaimaruthur and Veppathur) have several accommodation options for all budgets, including some resorts.

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