Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi (Guru Navagraha Temple)
Shiva (as Apatsahayesvarar / Kasi Aranyeswarar); Dakshinamurthy worshipped as Guru temple · Alangudi, Tiruvarur (Valangaiman taluk), Tamil Nadu, India
The Apatsahayesvarar Temple at Alangudi, in Valangaiman taluk of Tiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu, is the Guru (Jupiter) temple of the Navagraha circuit around Kumbakonam. The presiding deity is Shiva as Apatsahayesvarar, also called Kasi Aranyeswarar, worshipped as a lingam; the goddess is Elavarkuzhali.
At Alangudi the role of Guru is held by Dakshinamurthy, Shiva as the teacher, who is given special reverence. The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, which administers the temple, describes it as a widely known Guru parihara sthalam (Guru remedial shrine) of Tiruvarur district.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi (Guru Navagraha Temple)
According to the HR&CE temple website, the name Apatsahayesvarar, 'the lord who helps in danger', comes from the legend that Shiva swallowed the halahala poison that rose during the churning of the ocean of milk, saving the devas. Dinamalar connects the village name to the same story: aalam is the poison, and Shiva who drank it is called Aalangudiyan. The local Ganesha is known as Kalangamal Katha Vinayakar, 'the Vinayaka who protected without letting anyone despair'. The HR&CE site links this to protecting the devas, while Dinamalar tells a story of Ganesha keeping the boat of the saint Sundarar from capsizing in a flood.
Dinamalar and the Thanjavur District Collectorate both describe Dakshinamurthy as the focus of Guru worship here, and The Hindu's 2006 account of a Navagraha pilgrimage notes that Dakshinamurthy has 'pride of place' at Alangudi as Guru, with Kasi Aranyeswarar as the main deity. Thursdays, and especially the Thursdays of Masi (February–March), are regarded as important days for Guru worship, and the Collectorate notes large crowds whenever Jupiter moves between zodiac signs. These are devotional traditions; the temple does not promise particular results.
The HR&CE site also records that the goddess performed penance here and married Shiva, the place of the wedding being the nearby village of Thirumanamangalam; that Alangudi is a parivara (attendant) shrine of the Mahalingaswamy temple at Thiruvidaimarudur; and that it is the fourth of the Pancha Aranya (five forest) shrines, traditionally associated with evening worship.
Heritage
History of Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi (Guru Navagraha Temple)
Alangudi is a Paadal Petra Sthalam, a temple sung in the Tevaram. The HR&CE site counts it as the 98th of the 127 Tevaram shrines on the southern bank of the Kaveri. Tirugnanasambandar sang of it as Irumpoolai (Wikipedia records ten verses in the First Tirumurai), and Appar refers to it within his hymn on Thiruveezhimizhalai. The sacred tree is the poolai plant, which gives the old name Tiru-Irumpoolai.
A temple legend given by the HR&CE site says the temple was built by Amudhokar, a minister of the legendary king Musukunda, who was beheaded after refusing to share the merit of his devotion with the king; the king is said to have then worshipped here to be freed of the resulting fault. On the historical side, the department's inscription register for the temple cites a Chola-period record published in South Indian Inscriptions, Volume 6, which it places in the time of Rajaraja Chola I. Wikipedia says the original complex is believed to be a Chola foundation, with the present masonry largely from the 16th-century Nayak period.
Architecture and sacred features
The HR&CE site lists two rajagopurams, on the south and the east, and Wikipedia and Dinamalar describe a five-tiered gateway tower and two prakarams within a compound of about two acres. The temple tank is the Amirtha Pushkarini; the Collectorate notes the tradition that Parvati was reborn on its banks.
Shrines listed by the HR&CE Department include those of Apatsahayesvarar, Elavarkuzhali Amman, Guru Bhagavan (Dakshinamurthy, with a festival image), Kalangamal Katha Vinayakar, Agna Ganapathi, Subramanyar, Saneeswarar, the Navagrahas, Chandikeswarar, Nataraja with Sivakami, Somaskandar, Gajalakshmi and Sukravara Ambal. Dinamalar adds a group of seven lingams (Saptalingas) in the inner prakara and a small image of Sundarar.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The HR&CE website publishes the temple's daily opening hours, which differ on Thursdays and may change during festivals. Guru transit days draw very large crowds, according to the Thanjavur District Collectorate. Confirm current timings, dress expectations and puja or parihara bookings with the temple office or the HR&CE Department before travelling.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department (TM014252) (official website) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi (Guru Navagraha Temple)
Guru Peyarchi (Jupiter transit)
Special pujas to Guru Dakshinamurthy; the Thanjavur District Collectorate notes very large crowds on these days.
Masi Thursdays
Dinamalar describes special abhishekam and pujas for Guru Dakshinamurthy on the Thursdays of Masi.
Chithirai Pournami
Full-moon festival listed by Dinamalar.
Thai Poosam
Festival listed by Dinamalar.
Panguni Uthiram
Festival listed by Dinamalar.
Dakshinamurthy chariot festival
Dinamalar notes a car (chariot) procession of Dakshinamurthy, which it describes as unusual.
Location
How to Reach Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi (Guru Navagraha Temple)
According to the HR&CE Department, Alangudi lies on the Kumbakonam–Mannargudi bus route, 17 km south of Kumbakonam and 7 km north of Needamangalam railway station. It is about 3 km from the banks of the Vettar, a branch of the Kaveri.
Buses run from Kumbakonam, and Dinamalar names Tiruchirappalli as the nearest airport.
Location: Alangudi, Tiruvarur (Valangaiman taluk), Tamil Nadu, India
Nearest airport: Tiruchirappalli
Nearest railway station: Needamangalam (7 km, per the HR&CE Department)
More in Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu · Shiva (as Apatsahayesvarar / Kasi Aranyeswarar); Dakshinamurthy worshipped as Guru temples · Temples in Alangudi · Temples in Valangaiman Taluk · Temples in Tiruvarur District
Questions
Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi (Guru Navagraha Temple): Frequently Asked Questions
Which Navagraha is worshipped at Alangudi?
Guru (Jupiter). At Alangudi the role of Guru is held by Dakshinamurthy, Shiva as the teacher, while the presiding deity is Shiva as Apatsahayesvarar.
What does the name Apatsahayesvarar mean?
'The lord who helps in danger'. The HR&CE Department links it to the legend of Shiva swallowing the halahala poison to save the devas.
Is Alangudi a Paadal Petra Sthalam?
Yes. Tirugnanasambandar sang of it as Irumpoolai, and the HR&CE Department counts it as the 98th Tevaram shrine on the southern bank of the Kaveri.
Which day is special for Guru worship at Alangudi?
Thursday. Dinamalar describes the Thursdays of Masi (February–March) as especially important, and Jupiter's transit days draw large crowds.
Who manages the Alangudi temple?
The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, which runs the temple's official website.
How do I reach Alangudi from Kumbakonam?
Alangudi is 17 km south of Kumbakonam on the Kumbakonam–Mannargudi bus route. The nearest railway station is Needamangalam, 7 km away.
Sources and attribution
- Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department – Arulmigu Abathsagayeswaraswamy Temple, Alangudi (archived March 2025) — About temple, history, shrines, towers, tanks, inscriptions
- Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department (archived March 2025) — Shrines – Arulmigu Abathsagayeswaraswamy Temple, Alangudi
- Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department (archived March 2025) — Inscriptions – Arulmigu Abathsagayeswaraswamy Temple, Alangudi
- Dinamalar — Sri Aabathsahayeswarar temple, Alangudi – temple details
- Wikipedia — Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi
- District Collectorate, Thanjavur (NIC), archived 2013 — Navagrahas – Alangudi
- The Hindu — An exploration on foot (5 May 2006)
- OpenStreetMap — Alangudi Guru Temple (way 157745949)
Further reading: Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi (Guru Navagraha Temple) on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Write to info@hindutone.com — see our editorial policy.
