BrodieAlfonso45 at 21:48, 30 April 2026

2026-04-30T21:48:16Z

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{{Short description|Shiva temple in Tenkasi district, Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox temple
| name = Kasi Viswanathar Temple
| image = The magnificent Kasi Vishwanathat Temple Rajagopuram.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|8|57|24|N|77|18|27|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| other_names =
| proper_name =
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Tenkasi district|Tenkasi]]
| location = [[Tenkasi]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Kasi Viswanathar([[Shiva]])
Ulagamman([[Parvathi]])

| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Poets =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Tamilan architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}

'''Kasi Viswanathar Temple''' in [[Tenkasi]], a city in [[Tenkasi district]] in the South Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]], is dedicated to the Hindu god [[Shiva]]. Constructed in the Tamil style of architecture, the temple is believed to have been built by Pandyan ruler Parakrama Pandyan during the 13th century, with later additions from [[Madurai Nayaks]]. Shiva is worshipped as Kasi Viswanathar and his consort [[Parvathi]] as Ulagamman.

A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple is open from 6 am - 12 pm and 4 - 8:30 pm on all days except during new moon days when it is open the full day. Four daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Maasi Maham festival during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil]] month of ''Maasi'' (February - March) being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].

==Legend==
As per Hindu legend, a [[Pandya kingdom|Pandya]] king Parakrama Pandyan wanted to construct a temple for Hindu god [[Shiva]] at [[Tenkasi]] and went to [[Varanasi|Kasi]] to bring a [[lingam]], an iconic representation of Shiva in South India. Shiva appeared in his dream and asked him to follow the army of ants. The next day he found that there was an army of ants. The king realised that it was because of the divine intervention that he was prevented from going to Varanasi. He built the temple in the place where the anthill ended.<ref name="history">{{cite web|title=Tenkasi History|publisher=Tenkasi Municipality|url=http://123.63.242.116/tenkasi/abt_Places%20of%20Interest.htm|year=2011|access-date=2012-12-29|archive-date=16 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816014555/http://123.63.242.116/tenkasi/abt_Places%20of%20Interest.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Arulmighu Kasi Viswanatha Temple, Tenkasi|url=http://www.tenkasikasiviswanathaswamytemple.tnhrce.in/history.html|publisher=Administration of Arulmighu Kasi Viswanatha Temple, Tenkasi|access-date=15 August 2017}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Tenkasi Gopuram.jpg|left|200x200px|thumb|Temple Tower]]
Tenkasi was established during the early 13th century CE. There are inscriptions in the temple dated 1384 from the period of King Vira Pandyan mentioning the gift of houses and villages to Brahmanas to recite [[Vedas]] and [[Purana]] in the temple.<ref>{{cite book|title=South Indian Shrines: Illustrated|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLSGFW1uZboC&q=tenkasi+temple&pg=PA24|page=24|last=Ayyar|first=P. V. Jagadisa|publisher=Asian Educational Service|year=1992|isbn=9788120601512}}</ref> Between 1428 and 1460, a [[Pandya kingdom|Pandya]] king Parakrama Pandyan ruled the southern part of Madurai region, comprising the modern day Tenkasi and it surroundings. There was contrasting dates on the rule of Parakrama Pandyan, with some mentioning the year as 1309, while the inscription in the temple indicating as 1309.<ref>{{cite book|title=History of Tinnevelly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zjTneAGmatsC&q=tenkasi+temple&pg=PA54|page=54|last=Caldwell|first=Bishop R.|publisher=Asian Educational Services|year=2004|isbn=9788120601611}}</ref> Tenkasi was a part of Madurai region during the 16th century. Madurai became independent from [[Vijayanagar Empire]] in 1559 under the [[Madurai Nayak Dynasty|Nayaks]] and the temple started receiving gifts from the rulers of the dynasty.<ref>{{Citation|last=V.|first=Vriddhagirisan|page=[https://archive.org/details/nayaksoftanjore0000vrid/page/115 115]|title=Nayaks of Tanjore|year=1995|orig-date=1942|publisher=Asian Educational Services|location=New Delhi|isbn=81-206-0996-4|url=https://archive.org/details/nayaksoftanjore0000vrid/page/115}}</ref> The temple had a flat tower till 1967, when a 180-foot artistically built temple tower was initiated and completed in 1990.<ref name="dinamalar"/>

==Architecture==
Tenkasi is built around the Kasi Viswanathar temple. The temple has a seven-tiered [[gopuram]] (temple tower) and has concentric granite walls that enshrines all the shrines in the temple. The temple has a pillared hall from the entrance leading to the flagstaff hall. The sanctum is located axial to the entrance facing east. The image of Kasi Viswanathar in the form of lingam is housed in the sanctum. The images of [[Vinayaka]] and [[Murugan|Subramanya]] are located on either side of the hall leading to the sanctum. The shrine of Ulagamman is located parallel to the sanctum facing East. There are smaller shrines of [[Dakshinamurthy]], Arumugar, [[Durga]], [[Navagraha]]s and [[Nataraja]] in the precinct around the shrines of Kasi Viswanatha and Ulagamman.<ref name="dinamalar"/> The composite columns of [[Virabhadra]] holding sword and horn are found be additions of the Vijayanayagara kings during the early 1500s. Similar columns of Virabhadra are found in [[Adikesava Perumal Temple, Kanyakumari|Adikesava Perumal Temple]] at Thiruvattaru, [[Meenakshi Temple]] at [[Madurai]], [[Nellaiappar Temple]] at [[Tirunelveli]], [[Krishnapuram Venkatachalapathy temple]], [[Ramanathaswamy Temple]] at [[Rameswaram]], [[Soundararajaperumal temple, Thadikombu|Soundararajaperumal temple]] at [[Thadikombu]], [[Srivilliputhur Andal temple]], [[Srivaikuntanathan Permual temple]] at [[Srivaikuntam]], [[Tirupperunturai|Avudayarkovil]], [[Vaishnava Nambi and Thirukurungudivalli Nachiar temple]] at [[Thirukkurungudi]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Imperial Frontiers: Building Sacred Space in Sixteenth-Century South India|jstor=20619601|last=Branfoot|first=Crispin |journal=The Art Bulletin|volume=90|issue=2|date=1 June 2008|page=186|publisher=College Art Association|doi=10.1080/00043079.2008.10786389|s2cid=154135978}}</ref>

==Festival==
[[File:Tenkasi sivan temple Tower - another view.JPG|200px|thumb|Another view of the temple tower]]
The temple follows Shaivite tradition. The temple priests perform the ''[[puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed four times a day:

*''Kalasanthi'' at 8:30 a.m.
*''Uchikalam'' at 11:30 a.m.
*''Sayarakshai'' at 5:30 p.m.
*''Aravanai Pooja'' between 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.

There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. The temple is open from 6am - 12 pm and 4-9:00 pm on all days except during festival days when it is open the full day. There are various festivals celebrated in the temple. The Masi Magam festival during the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil]] month of ''Masi'' (February - march) is the most prominent festival celebrated in the temple. Tirukalyanam festival during ''Aipassi'' (October - November), Moola festival during ''Aavani'' (August - September), [[Navarathri]], Karthikai festival, Thiruvathirai, Thaipusam, Sivarathri, Panguni Uthiram are the other festivals celebrated in the temple.<ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web|title=Sri Kasi Viswanathar temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=826|access-date=2 November 2015|year=2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Pandya dynasty}}
{{Famous Shiva temples|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in Tenkasi district]]
[[Category:Pandya dynasty]]
[[Category:Pandyan architecture]]
[[Category:Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Shiva temples in Tenkasi district]]

Kasi Viswanathar Temple Tenkasi - Revision history

BrodieAlfonso45 at 21:48, 30 April 2026