Kasi Viswanathar, Vittalur, 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:	Vittalur	District:	Thanjavur
Maps from (click):	Current location	Kumbakonam (13 km)	Mayiladuthurai (25 km)
	Tiruvarur (34 km)	Thanjavur (54 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

The sthala puranam of this temple is closely linked to the puranam of the Chozheeswaramudaiyar temple at nearby Tiruneelakudi.

According to the sthala puranam here, a Chola king of the region accidentally shot an arrow which struck and killed the sage, Heranda maharishi, and therefore he was afflicted with Brahmahathi dosham. Fortunately, the king realised that the nearby Tiruvidaimaruthur temple had its own sthala puranam according to which Varaguna Pandyan was relieved of the same dosham that had attached to him. However, the only thing the king could readily see from this place was the gopuram of the Mahalingeswarar temple, and so the king worshipped the gopuram from the spot. A few days later, when the king was traveling and reached this place – Vittalur – he realised that the dosham had left him. Since this is the place where the affliction left the king, he built a temple at this spot.

The place Vittalur gets its name from the above sthala puranam. The Tamil word for “leaving” is “விடு” (Vidu), and since the affliction left the king here, the place is called Vittalur.

The temple is located on the southern banks of the Nattaru river.

It is likely that the temple is of the same vintage as the Chozheeswaramudaiyar temple in Tiruneelakudi, ie, from the 12^th or 13^th century CE, and therefore, possibly from the time of Kulothunga Chola I, Vikrama Chola, or Kulothunga Chola II.

Although the temple faces east, the main entrance and gopuram are on the southern side. As one enters the temple, is the maha mandapam with the the Amman shrine is straight ahead, and the east-facing moolavar on the left. In front of the maha mandapam on the east is a bali peetham and Nandi. The unique iconography of Nandi itself clearly speaks to the age of this temple.

As we come around the prakaram, Dakshinamurti, Lingodhbhavar, Brahma and Durga are in the koshtams. In the prakaram there are shrines for the parivara devatas – Vinayakar, Murugan with his consorts Valli and Deivanai, and Chandikeswarar. In the northeast part is another lingam, and the navagraham shrine. There are several older or damaged vigrahams and lingams strewn around in the open spaces inside the temple premises.