List of Names & Information on Famous Hindu Temples in Thanjavur District

Here you can find list of names and information (like history, architecture & facts) on ancient / old Hindu temples in Thanjavur, India. These Famous temples in Thanjavur district are most visited and most sought after best tourist places. You can also find photos of Thanjavur temples / mandir.

The reigning god of the temple is Lord Shiva however, there are other deities as well. Few of the deities such as Chandra, Dakshinamurthy and Surya can be found in large sizes. The Brihadeeswarar Temple is one of its rare kinds owing to the presence of figures of the 'Guardians of directions' that is Agni, Varuna, Isana, Vayu, Indra, Yama, Nirrti and Kubera. All the mentioned statues can be found in the temple just the way they used to be in their past, and are represented in the form of life-sized figures with each being around six feet in height.

The significance in terms of religion is very high for this temple. This temple is highly visited and revered not only because it is one of the 108 Divya Desams but it is also one of the Pancharanga Kshetrams. The Pancharanga Kshetram is a group of 5 temples that have been specially dedicated to an avatar of Lord Vishnu known as Ranganatha. This temple and its location is said to have been appeared for the great sage Hema Rishi which further elevates the religious significance of this temple.

This temple being one of the six holy shrines dedicated to lord Murugan gives it a high status in case of reverence. This temple is known as Arupadaiveedu which means one of the six main abodes of the lord and marks a phase of his life. In accordance to the beliefs of the Hindus, Swamimalai is the place where Muruga preached the "Pranava mantra" to his father lord Shiva at a very young age when Lord Brahma the creator could not. The Tamilian culture holds this lord in very high reverence and therefore his temples are highly respected.

The temple is revered due to its antiquity dating back to 8th century AD and also because lord Vishnu had appeared in the form of Upiliappan for the sage Markandeya. The lord is also said to have appeared at this site for the gods Shiva, Brahma and Bhoomadevi. More over the temple is one of the Divya Desams which further sanctifies its reverence. The temple is well known for its daily rituals that place six times and the three major yearly festivals conducted here.