Tirukozhambiam Kokileswarar Temple

🛕 Lord Shiva | 📍 Thirukozhambiam, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

Temple Tags: Ancient Temple Chola Temple Famous Temple Nayanmar Temple Paadal Petra Sthalam South India Temple Tevaram Temple

✔ Verified by Mandirvaas

📍 Open in Maps

⏰ Darshan

Morning: 07:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Evening: — – —

📅 Best Time to Visit

. For a special festival experience, Karthikai Mondays and Panguni Uthiram are notable. However, because the temple has limited/uncertain opening hours, morning darshan is the safest option.

📸 Photography

Not Allowed

🔱 Temple Significance

Tirukozhambiam Kokileswarar Temple is an ancient Shiva temple where Lord Shiva is worshipped as Kokileswarar, also known as Kozhamba Nathar, and Goddess Parvati as Soundara Nayaki. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams praised by Tirunavukkarasar and Thirugnana Sambandar. The temple is particularly famous for the cow-hoof impression on the Shiva Lingam's base, traditionally associated with Goddess Parvati worshipping Shiva in the form of a cow.

🏛 Temple History

The temple has strong Chola-period associations. It is traditionally counted among the temples renovated or developed under the patronage of Sembiyan Mahadevi, the Chola queen. The temple is administered by Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam. The present shrine contains a three-tier Rajagopuram, Nandi mandapa, Nataraja Sabha and several subsidiary shrines.

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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.

🔔 Darshan Timings & Rules

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Dress Code

Modest and traditional clothing is recommended.

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Photography

Not allowed

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Prasad

Available

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Prasad Details

Temple prasadam/naivedyam is available according to the day's worship arrangements.

🧭 Pilgrim Travel Tips

Morning visit is strongly recommended, as the temple may close before the evening session.
Contact the temple before travelling, particularly if you are planning an afternoon/evening darshan.
Worship Kokileswarar/Kozhamba Nathar and Soundara Nayaki.
This is a Paadal Petra Sthalam praised by both Sambandar and Appar.
Look carefully at the large Shiva Lingam and the traditional cow-hoof impression on its base.
The cow-hoof mark is associated with the legend of Goddess Parvati worshipping Shiva as a cow.
The temple's name Kokileswarar is connected with the legend of Chandan, who was transformed into a cuckoo/nightingale by a curse and regained his original form after worshipping Shiva here.
Brahma Theertham is located near the temple entrance and is connected with the temple's legends.
Observe the three-tier Rajagopuram, Nandi Mandapa and Nataraja Sabha.
The inner prakaram includes shrines for Vinayaka, Appar, Muruga, Gajalakshmi and Bhairava.
The sanctum niches include Dakshinamurthy, Brahma, Durga and Vinayaka, along with Nataraja, Sattainathar and Bhikshatana forms.
Karthikai Mondays and Panguni Uthiram are important festival occasions.
Traditional worship at this temple is associated with prayers for relief from curses/doshas and marriage-related obstacles; treat these as religious beliefs rather than medical or guaranteed outcomes.
The temple is about 20 km from Kumbakonam and can be included in a Kumbakonam-region Paadal Petra Sthalam circuit.
Nearby pilgrimage temples include Thiruvidaimarudur, Thiruneelakudi, Thiruvaikal, Thirunallam and Thiruvavaduthurai.
Carry drinking water and plan transportation in advance because this is a village-temple location.
Senior citizens should preferably visit in the morning because of the uncertain/limited evening access.
Maintain silence and cleanliness and follow temple instructions regarding photography and shrine access.