Skip to main content
+91 86376 78132
My Divine Tours
Book a Tour

Reference

The nine Navagraha temples

There are nine Navagraha temples, one for each of the nine celestial bodies of Hindu astrology. All nine lie in the Kaveri delta within roughly 60 km of Kumbakonam — except Thirunallar, which sits just over the boundary in the Karaikal district of Puducherry. The whole circuit is about 300 km of driving and is routinely completed in a single day.

The nine

Which temple, which planet, which town

  1. 1

    Suriyanar Koil

    Sun · Suriyan

    Suriyanar Koil, near Aduthurai·about 15 km from Kumbakonam·Sri Suriyanar

    The only one of the nine built as a dedicated Navagraha temple, and the usual starting point of the circuit. All nine planetary deities have shrines here.

  2. 2

    Kailasanathar Temple

    Moon · Chandran

    Thingalur·about 35 km from Kumbakonam·Sri Kailasanathar

    Thingalur takes its name from thingal, the Tamil word for moon. Associated with the story of Appar and the boy Apoothi Adigal.

  3. 3

    Vaitheeswaran Koil

    Mars · Chevvai

    Vaitheeswaran Koil·about 45 km from Kumbakonam·Sri Vaidyanatha Swami

    Shiva as the divine physician. Visited for healing as much as for the planetary association, and known for the Siddha Vaidhya tradition around it.

  4. 4

    Swetharanyeswarar Temple

    Mercury · Budhan

    Thiruvenkadu·about 55 km from Kumbakonam·Sri Swetharanyeswarar

    Thiruvenkadu means the white forest. One of the larger temples on the circuit, with three sacred tanks.

  5. 5

    Apatsahayesvarar Temple

    Jupiter · Guru

    Alangudi·about 17 km from Kumbakonam·Sri Apatsahayesvarar

    Guru is considered the most auspicious of the nine, and Guru Peyarchi — Jupiter's transit — draws very large crowds here.

  6. 6

    Agneeswarar Temple

    Venus · Sukran

    Kanjanur·about 18 km from Kumbakonam·Sri Agneeswarar

    A small temple in a farming village, quieter than most of the others on the circuit.

  7. 7

    Sri Dharbaranyeswarar Temple

    Saturn · Sani

    Thirunallar·about 40 km from Kumbakonam·Sri Dharbaranyeswarar

    The most visited of the nine by a wide margin. Thirunallar lies in the Karaikal district of Puducherry rather than Tamil Nadu, and Sani Peyarchi — Saturn's transit, every two and a half years — brings enormous crowds.

  8. 8

    Naganathaswamy Temple

    Rahu · Rahu

    Thirunageswaram·about 7 km from Kumbakonam·Sri Naganathaswamy

    Known for the Rahu Kalam abhishekam, during which milk poured over the deity is widely reported to take on a blue tinge.

  9. 9

    Naganathaswamy Temple

    Ketu · Kethu

    Keezhaperumpallam·about 55 km from Kumbakonam·Sri Naganathaswamy

    Usually the last stop on the circuit, near Poompuhar on the coast.

On timings: we have deliberately not published opening or darshan hours here. They change with festivals and with the season, and at some of these temples with the day of the week — and a wrong time on this page would send you a long way to a closed door. Call +91 86376 78132 close to your date and we will tell you what is current.

Questions

What people ask about the circuit

How many Navagraha temples are there?

Nine — one for each of the Navagraha, the nine celestial bodies of Hindu astrology: the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. All nine lie in the Kaveri delta of Tamil Nadu, within roughly 60 km of Kumbakonam, except Thirunallar which is in the Karaikal district of Puducherry.

Can you visit all nine Navagraha temples in one day?

Yes. It is a long day — around 300 km of driving and about fifteen hours door to door from Thanjavur — but the circuit is routinely completed in a single day, and both our group tour and our private car package do exactly that. Spreading it over two days is more comfortable if you want time at each shrine.

In what order should the Navagraha temples be visited?

There is no single prescribed order, and practice varies. Most circuits begin at Suriyanar Koil, the Sun temple, since it is the only one built as a dedicated Navagraha temple and has shrines to all nine. After that the order is usually planned around driving distance rather than sequence, because the nine temples are not arranged in a convenient circle.

Where do the Navagraha temples start from?

Kumbakonam is the practical base — every temple is within about 60 km of it. Thanjavur is the more common starting point for visitors, as it has more hotels and better connections, and is around 40 km from Kumbakonam.

Which is the most visited Navagraha temple?

Thirunallar, the Saturn temple, by a wide margin. It draws especially large crowds during Sani Peyarchi, Saturn's transit between signs, which occurs roughly every two and a half years.

What is Guru Peyarchi and Sani Peyarchi?

They are the transits of Jupiter (Guru) and Saturn (Sani) from one zodiac sign to the next. Guru Peyarchi occurs roughly once a year and draws crowds to Alangudi; Sani Peyarchi occurs roughly every two and a half years and draws very large crowds to Thirunallar. If your visit falls near either, expect long queues and plan more time.

How far is Thirunallar from Kumbakonam?

About 40 km by road. Thirunallar is in the Karaikal district of Puducherry, so it is the one temple on the circuit outside Tamil Nadu — which makes no practical difference to a visitor beyond the state boundary sign.

If you would rather not drive

We run the circuit every week