Thiruthangur Vellimalainathar Temple

🛕 Lord Shiva | 📍 Thiruthangur, Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu

Temple Tags: Ancient Temple Chola Temple Famous Temple Paadal Petra Sthalam Spiritual Healing Temple Tevaram Temple

✔ Verified by Mandirvaas

📍 Open in Maps

⏰ Darshan

Morning: 06:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Evening: 04:00 PM – 08:00 PM

📅 Best Time to Visit

Early morning or evening

📸 Photography

Not Allowed

🔱 Temple Significance

Thiruthangur Vellimalainathar Temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams and is praised in the Thevaram tradition by Tirugnanasambandar. It is traditionally counted as the 233rd Devaram Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam and the 116th shrine on the southern bank of the Cauvery in Chola Nadu.

Lord Shiva is worshipped as Vellimalainathar, also called Rajathagireeswarar, while Goddess Parvati is worshipped as Periyanayaki. The temple is particularly notable for having Navagraha Lingas, with the nine planetary deities represented through separate Shiva Lingas. Temple tradition associates worship here with relief from planetary afflictions.

The temple is also traditionally described as having a Swayambumurthi Shiva Linga facing west. According to the temple tradition, Brahma was pleased with the Navagrahas' worship of Shiva and associated the place with the name Navagrahapuram.

🏛 Temple History

Thiruthangur belongs to the ancient Shaiva temple landscape of the Cauvery delta. Its strongest documented religious significance comes from its inclusion among the Paadal Petra Sthalams and the Thevaram hymn of Tirugnanasambandar.

The temple also preserves historical inscriptions. Sources record four Chola-period inscriptions and one Pandya-period inscription, indicating the temple's connection with the medieval Tamil temple tradition.

The sthala tradition describes a great deluge in which the surrounding lands were submerged, while this sacred site remained protected. Other traditions connect the temple with Mahalakshmi and the Navagrahas, who are said to have worshipped Lord Shiva here.

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Daily Poojas

Regular temple worship schedule

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No daily poojas available.

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Special Rituals

Sacred offerings and temple rituals

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No special rituals available currently.

🎉 Temple Festivals

No festivals available.

🧭 Pilgrim Travel Tips

y Bus: Travel from Tiruvarur towards Tiruthuraipoondi via Tirunellikaval and continue towards Thiruthangur.
By Train: Tirunellikaval Railway Station is the closest station, around 1–2 km away.
From Tiruvarur: The temple is roughly 15–19 km by road.
Navagraha Worship: Devotees interested in Navagraha-related worship can visit the nine Navagraha Lingas inside the temple.
Best Time: Morning or evening is generally more comfortable for darshan.
Festival Days: Expect more devotees during Maha Shivaratri and other major Shaiva festivals.
Local Transport: An auto from Tirunellikaval is useful for the final 1–2 km.
Nearby Temple: Thirukollikadu is very close, making it possible to combine the two temples in one pilgrimage trip.
Timings: Confirm the current opening hours before starting the journey because published timings differ between sources.