Nachiyar Kovil Temple
Nachiar Kovil or Thirunarayur Nambi Temple in Thirunarayur is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi.
History of Nachiyar Kovil Temple
It is one of the 108 divyadesams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Srinivasa Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Nachiyar. The temple is the place where god Vishnu is believed to have initiated Pancha Samskara (religious initiation) to Thirumangai Azhwar. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines, while it has a five-tiered rajagopuram, the temple’s gateway tower. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th to 9th centuries AD. The temple follows the Thenkalai mode of worship.
The temple is believed to have been built by Kochengat Cholan of the late 3rd century AD, with later contributions from Medieval Cholas and Vijayanagar kings.
Architecture of Nachiyar Kovil Temple
The flag pole, place of sacrifice and Garuda’s shrine are in axial position from the entrance to the main sanctum. He is believed to have built 70 temples dedicated to Shiva and Thirunaraiyur is the only Vishnu temple constructed by him. The shrine of Thirumangai Azhwar is located on the northern side. . The centre of the hall is occupied by Dwajasthamba (the flag pole) and Balipeeda (the place of sacrifice), one behind the other. The temple is believed to have been built by King Kochengat Cholan. The entrance through the eastern gateway leads to a hall of 16 pillars, called Neenila Mutram. The temple has a 5-tiered rajagopuram on the eastern side, raising up to a height of 75 ft . The front portion of the flag pole has a small shrine for Garuda.
Location: To view the location please click here
Address: Nachiyar Koil, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
Nearest Airport: Trichy International Airport – 108 km
Nearest Railway station: Kumbakonam – 8 km
Temple Opening Hours
Morning Hours: 7:30 AM – 12:30 Noon
Evening Hours: 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM
For more details please dial +91 4352467017, 9443597388
Nachiyar Kovil Temple official website: Not available
Bus Route
The temple is less than 10 km from Kumbakonam. There are lot of bus facilities available. It is located on Kumbakonam-Tiruvarur road
Hotels to stay in Kumbakonam
1. Hotel Green Park
No. 10, Lakshmi Vilas Street,
Kumbakonam, South India – 612001.
Ph :(0435) – 2402853 / 2403914
2. Quality Inn VIHA
New Railway Road, Kumbakonam,
Tanjore, Tamil Nadu 612001
Ph:0435 255 5555
3. Lee Garden
Naal Road Junction, Srinagar Colony, Kumbakonam
Tanjore, Tamil Nadu 612001
Ph:0435 240 2526
4. Rayas Grand
23-25, Holy Mahamaham Tank West Bank,
Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
Ph:0435 242 3170
Near By Temples: Chakrapani Temple, Sri Valangaiman Mariamman Temple , Adi Kumbeswarar Temple, Sarangapani Temple
Near by Restaurants:
Near By Places to Visit: Darasuram, Papanasam, Thirubuvanam, Patteeswaram