Kasi Viswanathar Sivakasi

Kasi Viswanathar, Sivakasi

Saivite Temples - Virudhunagar District

God

Kasi Viswanathar, facing east

Goddess

Visalakshi, facing east

Other Deities

Kalyana Vinayaka, Pazhani Andavar outside the entrance. Surya, Manickavasagar, Naalvar, Vinayaka, 63 Nayanmar, Kannimoola Ganapati, Ayyappan, Naagar, Kasi Viswanathar, Anjaneya, Muruga with consorts, Mahalakshmi, Nataraja, Bhairava, Veerabadhra, Chandran. Sanctum Niches – Dakshinamurthy, Lingotbavar, Vishnu Durga, Chandikeswara

Kasi Viswanathar Sivakasi is an east-facing temple situated in a single Prakaram. Entrance is through a gateway and long mandapam in the east. The sanctum sanctorum of the main deity and the goddess are both east facing and separate. Both have separate Mahamandapams and Ardha Mandapams in front with separate Flagstaffs. The goddess shrine is separate. There is a small tank just outside on the northeast side of the temple. There are a few Amman temples in Sivakasi, including one for Badrakali.

Holy Water (Theertham) – Temple Tank

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Vilwam (Aegle marmelos)

History

Kasi Viswanathar Sivakasi is said to have been built by Jatavarman Parakrama Pandyan (regnal years 1422 – 1463 CE). He is the King who built the famous Tenkasi Temple. He is also said to have created the town of Sivakasi. The Nayak Kings under the Vijayanagar empire have donated liberally to the temple’s development and maintenance in later times. Very sadly, around 1899 there were major riots in the area over the rights of entry of different communities and the temple’s maintenance, leading to loss of lives and property. The military had to intervene to bring the grave situation under control.

Legend

King Parakrama Pandyan who was bringing a Shiva Lingam from Kasi to install in the Tenkasi Temple rested here in a grove of Vilwa Trees. The cow that was carrying the lingam refused to move and the king realizing a divine interference decided to build a temple here with the lingam. Since the Shiva Lingam was brought from Kasi, the place came to be called Siva Kasi.

Directions

Kasi Viswanathar Sivakasi is in the center of Sivakasi Town. It is a very crowded town with narrow one-way streets and there is no parking anywhere nearby. Sivakasi is famous for fireworks, match industries, and printing presses. The famous Muthu & Lion Comics translates and publishes many of the American comics from here.

Stay and Food

Sivakasi has a few restaurants and hotels.

Saivite Temples

Tamilnadu Temples