Kasi Viswanathar Temple – Tenkasi

	Moolavar	:	Sri Viswanathar
	Urchavar	:	-
	Amman / Thayar	:	Ulagamman
	Thala Virutcham	:	Shenbagam
	Theertham	:	Kasi Theertham
	Agamam / Pooja	:	-
	Old year	:	500-1000 years old
	Historical Name	:	-
	City	:	Tenkasi
	District	:	Tirunelveli
	State	:	Tamil Nadu

History:

About 700 years ago, King Parakrama Pandiya was taking up a pilgrimage to Kasi as and when he desired to worship Lord Viswanatha.  The Lord appeared in his dream that he could build a temple here itself to avoid a long journey to north.  He advised the king to follow the movement of ants’ row and build the temple where it ended.  The ant-line ended on the banks Chitraru River dense with Shenbaga trees.  He found a swayambulinga near an anthill and built the temple as directed by the Lord.

Rajagopuram

The construction of the Rajagopuram (tower) was inaugurated by Parakrama Pandian in AD 1440 and was completed in the year 1505. The Gopuram caught fire in 1824 and was in a bad condition from 1826 to 1966. Then the renovation began and was completed in the year 1990.
The Rajagopuram is 180 feet tall and is a masterpiece of aesthetic beauty. A 2-5 feet wide pathway is also provided in the tower in the 9th tier to have an aerial look of Tenkasi. One enjoys the pleasure of walking on the sky while making a round in the tower.
The Tenkasi Kasi Viswanathar temple is a palace of sculptural skill of the stone craftsmen of Tamilnadu. There are twin statues, two Veerabadras, two Thandavamurthis and two Tamil women of highest standards of art. The sculpture of Rathi-Manmatha, the divine lovers, individual idols of Thirumal and Kali Devi are the creations of artists with divine skills

Sakthipeetam

This is in the northern side of the temple Prakara where women pray on Tuesdays and Fridays. Generally people visit the temple to pray to the Lord for Peace. Offerings to the Lord and Goddess Durga are made in the form of Dhotis and Sarees, adoring Devi with Turmeric paste, bathing with Panchamirtha ( juice made of five components) and milk. Annadhanam is a speciality. Also offering the Nivedhanam to the visiting devotees. The wealthy offer liberal donations for the maintenance of the temple puja proceedings.

Festivals

10 Masi Magam in February-March, Navarathri in September-October, Tirukalyanam in Aipasi (October-November), boat festival (teppam) in Avani Moola star day in August-September, new moon day Badra Deepa festival in the month of Thai (January-February) are festivals very grandly celebrated in the temple.

Temple's Speciality:

Lord Shiva graces in the temple as a swayambumurthi. Worshipping the Lord in this temple is as equal to worshipping the Lord in Kasi –Varanasi. Presiding deity Lord Kasi Viswanatha is visible to the devotee even from a distance of one Km. The temple is so vastly constructed with this facility to the devotees. While Mother Durga faces South in almost all temples, She faces west in this temple.

Opening time:

The temple is opened from 6.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

General Information:

Sages Narada, Agasthya, Mrugandu and Indira, Vali, Nandhi had worshipped the Lord in this temple.

Benefits to the devotees:

Those who worship in Tenkasi get the same benefit of worship undertaken in Utharakasi (Varanasi). The Durga in Tenkasi faces the west, opposite to the swami sannidhanam, while the tradition is that Goddes Durga faces the North in almost temples. The sculptures are made of single stone. The Balcony facility in the 9th tier of the gopuram is a facility to the devotees to have an aerial look of the town Tenkasi.

Prayers to Kaiamman in the temple are very popular. Deepas are lit on the lime fruit cups before this Devi on Tuesdays and Fridays during the Ragukalam time. Devotees throng here for marriage settlements, children etc.

Greatness Of Temple:

The tower of the temple was simply flat till the year 1967.  In the year 1990, a tower, as tall as 180 feet was very artistically built and the temple looks quite majestically now.  To facilitate enjoying the natural beauty of Tenkasi, broad roads are laid from the nine points of the tower, as if the devotee is walking on the space.  At the ninth point of the tower, a balcony is also constructed to go round the tower.

The temple is noted for the three importances of Murthy (the deity), Thalam (holiness of the place) and theertham the holy water attributed to the temple.  The Presiding deity is Sri Kasi Viswanatha with Mother Ulgamman.  Shenbagam tree and Kasi theertham add to the importance of the temple.  The beauty of the sculptures of the temple is widely known the world over.  The twin sculptures – the Veerabadras, Thandavamurthis, two Tamil Mothers, Rathi and Manmatha (the cupid and his beautiful wife Rathi), single sculptures as Lord Vishnu and Kali Devi are noted for their exquisite beauty

Special Features:

Miracle Based: Lord Shiva graces in the temple as a swayambumurthi.

Location

Tenkasi is 55 Kms from Tirunelveli, 105 Km from Tuticorin, 136 Km from Kanyakumari and 150 Km from Madurai. There are lodges in Tenkasi, the charges ranging from Rs. 100 to Rs. 400. Tenkasi is connected with almost important towns and cities of Tamilnadu by road. The nearest railway station is Tenkasi and the nearest airport Thiruvananthapuram.
Near By Airport :  
Madurai
Near By Railway Station :
Tenkasi
For more details, the devotees may get in touch with the Executive Officer, Kasi Viswanathaswami Temple on telephone No. 04633-222373.