Adi Kumbeswarar Temple
ஆதி கும்பேசுவரர் கோயில்
The main Shiva temple in Kumbakonam, with an impressive nine-tiered gateway tower and long colonnades, housing the lingam of the “sacred pot” said to have released the nectar of creation.
Kumbakonam is a famous temple town in Tamil Nadu. Its name comes from “kumbha” (pot): legend says that during a great flood, Brahma’s pot of nectar drifted here and broke, and Shiva shaped a lingam from the sand and nectar. That lingam is the principal deity of the Adi Kumbeswarar Temple. The temple dates back to the Chola period, and its present main structure was largely expanded by the Nayak dynasty in the 16th and 17th centuries. The eastern gateway tower stands about 39 metres high, the sculpted pillared hall is finely detailed, and a temple elephant lives here. Entry is free, shoes must be removed, and the bus from Thanjavur takes about an hour. You can walk between this temple, the Sarangapani Temple and the Mahamaham Tank.
Opening hours
06:00–12:30, 16:00–21:30
Nearby sights
- Mahamaham Tank
- Sarangapani Temple
- Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram
- Swaminatha Swamy Temple, Swamimalai
- Oppiliappan Temple
- Punnainallur Mariamman Temple
- Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
- Aiyarappar Temple, Thiruvaiyaru