Naganathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (Ketu Navagraha Temple)
Shiva (as Naganathar / Naganathaswamy), with a shrine for Ketu temple · Keezhaperumpallam (near Poompuhar), Mayiladuthurai (Tharangambadi taluk), Tamil Nadu, India
The Naganathaswamy Temple at Keezhaperumpallam (also spelt Keelaperumpallam or Kilperumpallam), a village near Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu, is the Ketu temple of the Navagraha circuit. The presiding deity is Shiva as Naganathar, worshipped as a lingam, and the goddess is Soundaryanayaki.
Ketu, the 'shadow planet' associated with the descending node of the Moon, has a prominent shrine here. The Dinamalar temple guide describes his image with a serpent's head and a human body, seated on a lion pedestal with folded hands, facing west towards the main deity in worship.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Naganathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (Ketu Navagraha Temple)
The temple legend, as given by Dinamalar, Wikipedia and the temple's own website, links the shrine to the churning of the ocean of milk. The serpent Vasuki, used as the churning rope, released poison that Shiva swallowed to protect the world. Grieved at having caused this, Vasuki is said to have performed penance here; Shiva appeared to the serpent and agreed to stay, and so he is worshipped as Naganathar, 'lord of the serpent'. The Thanjavur District Collectorate's tourism page records the related tradition that Ketu himself worshipped Shiva at this temple.
Devotees come to worship Ketu for the well-being of their families and for learning, and those who believe they are under an adverse Ketu influence offer red flowers and rice cooked with horse gram (kollu) and light seven lamps, according to Dinamalar. Special worship of Ketu is held during the daily Rahu kalam and Yamagandam periods. These are devotional customs; the page does not suggest any guaranteed outcome.
The temple is counted among the nine Navagraha temples of Tamil Nadu. Wikipedia notes that the village is mentioned in Appar's Tevaram verses without naming the deity, so it is classed as a Vaippu Sthalam rather than a Paadal Petra Sthalam.
Heritage
History of Naganathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (Ketu Navagraha Temple)
Wikipedia states that the original complex is believed to have been built by the Cholas and that the present masonry structure dates from the Nayak period in the 16th century. Dinamalar estimates the temple's age at between 1,000 and 2,000 years, and the Thanjavur District Collectorate describes it as an ancient Shaiva temple.
The temple draws its largest gatherings on the days when Rahu and Ketu move from one zodiac sign to another, roughly every eighteen months. A Press Trust of India report carried by Business Standard in January 2016 described thousands of devotees worshipping at the temple on one such transit day. The temple is listed by the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department under its Joint Commissioner at Mayiladuthurai, and its website names an Executive Officer as the administrator.
Architecture and sacred features
Wikipedia describes a recently built flat rajagopuram and a single prakaram. The gopuram and the main shrine face east, while a second entrance on the south leads towards the goddess's shrine. Ketu's black granite image is in the first precinct. There are also shrines for Anugraha Vinayaka, Subramanya, Gajalakshmi and Bhairava.
Dinamalar notes that the temple has no separate Navagraha shrine because Ketu holds the main place among the planets here. It does, however, have two images of Surya, one worshipped during Uttarayana (January to June) and the other during Dakshinayana (July to December), and an image of Shani. The sacred tree is the bamboo and the temple tank is the Naga Theertham.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The temple keeps morning and evening hours with a midday closure. Its website says puja tickets are sold at the temple counter, can be booked a day in advance and are not available online. Facilities in the village are limited, so plan transport in advance. Confirm current timings, dress expectations and puja arrangements with the temple office before travelling, especially around a Rahu–Ketu transit.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department (TM018032), Executive Officer (official website) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Naganathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (Ketu Navagraha Temple)
Vasuki Utsavam
Festival recalling Vasuki's worship; on the third day Shiva's darshan to Ketu is celebrated and Ketu is taken in procession, according to Dinamalar.
Rahu–Ketu Peyarchi (transit)
The temple's busiest day, with a special homa conducted by the temple priests and Ketu taken out in procession.
Maha Shivaratri
The night of Shiva.
Aippasi Annabhishekam
Full-moon abhishekam of the lingam with cooked rice.
Navaratri and Karthigai Deepam
Listed on the temple's website among its annual festivals.
Location
How to Reach Naganathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (Ketu Navagraha Temple)
Wikipedia places Keezhaperumpallam about 2 km from Poompuhar. Dinamalar gives it as about 22 km from both Sirkazhi and Mayiladuthurai, and The Hindu's account of a Navagraha pilgrimage on foot puts it about seven kilometres from the Budha temple at Thiruvenkadu. Dinamalar notes that public transport is limited except on transit days and that taxis can be hired from Mayiladuthurai.
Mayiladuthurai is the nearest railway station (about 24 km, according to the temple's website), and Tiruchirappalli is the nearest airport.
Location: Keezhaperumpallam (near Poompuhar), Mayiladuthurai (Tharangambadi taluk), Tamil Nadu, India
Nearest airport: Tiruchirappalli
Nearest railway station: Mayiladuthurai (about 24 km, per the temple website)
More in Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu · Shiva (as Naganathar / Naganathaswamy), with a shrine for Ketu temples · Temples in Tharangambadi Taluk · Temples in Mayiladuthurai District
Questions
Naganathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (Ketu Navagraha Temple): Frequently Asked Questions
Which Navagraha is associated with Keezhaperumpallam?
Ketu. The presiding deity is Shiva as Naganathar, and Ketu has a prominent shrine in which he is shown with a serpent's head and human body, worshipping Shiva.
Why is the deity called Naganathar?
According to the temple legend, the serpent Vasuki did penance here after its poison spread during the churning of the ocean of milk, and Shiva stayed here as Naganathar, 'lord of the serpent'.
When is the Ketu temple most crowded?
On Rahu–Ketu transit days, roughly every eighteen months, when thousands of devotees visit. The Panguni Vasuki Utsavam is another major occasion.
Does the temple have a Navagraha shrine?
No. Dinamalar notes that Ketu holds the main place here, so there is no separate Navagraha shrine, though there are two Surya images and a Shani image.
How far is Keezhaperumpallam from Thiruvenkadu and Poompuhar?
About seven kilometres from Thiruvenkadu (per The Hindu) and about 2 km from Poompuhar (per Wikipedia).
How do I reach Keezhaperumpallam?
It is about 22 km from both Sirkazhi and Mayiladuthurai. Public transport is limited on ordinary days, so Dinamalar suggests hiring a taxi from Mayiladuthurai, the nearest railway station.
Sources and attribution
- Dinamalar — Sri Naganathar temple, Kilperumpallam – temple details
- Arulmigu Nagannathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (temple website) — Home, Temple History, Festival, Poojas, Transport, Administration
- Wikipedia — Nagannathaswamy Temple, Keelaperumpallam
- District Collectorate, Thanjavur (NIC), archived 2013 — Navagrahas – Keezhperumpallam
- Business Standard (Press Trust of India) — Thousands worship at temples on transition of Rahu & Ketu (8 January 2016)
- The Hindu — An exploration on foot (5 May 2006)
- Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department, archived 2020 — Thirukoil – Temple List for Tamil Nadu (TM018032)
- OpenStreetMap — Naganathaswamy Temple (way 285366110)
Further reading: Naganathaswamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (Ketu Navagraha Temple) on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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