Kasi Viswanathar, Maruthuvakudi, Thanjavur

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Kasi Viswanathar	Ambal / Thayar:	Visalakshi
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:
Vriksham:		Teertham:
Agamam:		Age (years):
Timing:	– to – & – to –	Parikaram:
Temple group:		–
Sung by:		Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Maruthuvakudi	District:	Thanjavur
Maps from (click):	Current location	Kumbakonam (15 km)	Mayiladuthurai (23 km)
	Tiruvarur (37 km)	Thanjavur (56 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

The town of Maruthavakudi, also known as Mel Maruthuvakudi, is located just south of Aduthurai near Kumbakonam, on the banks of the Veeracholan river. This temple for Kasi Viswanathar is one of two Siva temples in the town, the other being the more famous Airavateswarar temple.

The original structural temple here is said to date back to the time of the Vijayanagara Dynasty and Thanjavur Nayaks, making it over 500 years old.

The village is renowned for its unique panchangam (Hindu almanac) and has a historical significance as a thriving agricultural hub during the Chola period, when it was known as Uyyakondar Valanadu as Tiraimur Nadu, and as Tiru Idaikkulam.

The temple’s previous renovation was in 1938, after which the temple fell into a state of terrible disrepair. In 2022, a drive was launched by the locals, and a grand kumbhabhishekam was completed in November 2022. The temple now sports a fresh, new look. See second gallery below.

Covering an extensive area of one acre, the temple complex may appear modest at first glance but reveals its vastness upon closer inspection.

The temple is east facing, but there is no access from the east. Instead, the main entrance is from the street on the south. On the east, there is no dhwajasthambham but there is a bali peetham and Nandi in front of the vavvaal nethi mandapam – likely an addition during the period of the Marathas that came after the Nayaks – which houses the moolavar and Amman shrines. Interestingly, the moolavar lingam is pentagonal in shape, which is absolutely unique. Also inside the mandapam are vigrahams of Bhairavar, Suryan and Sani, in the northeastern corner. In the koshtams are Dakshinamurti and Durga. In the prakaram are shrines for Vinayakar, Murugan with his consorts Valli and Deivanai and Chandikeswarar.