Thirukandiyur Brahma sira kandishwarar temple a veerattanam and a Sapthastanam temple- padal petra sthalam

This ancient temple is very close to the Tiruvaiyaru temple just down the road infact. It is both a veerattanam where Shiva killed Brahma’s  fifth head and also a sapthastanam for Nandi's wedding. It lie's.on the banks of the Kudamurutti river Interestingly there is a Perumal koil in front which is a divya desam and the perumal is supposed to have removed the curse of killing Brahma In another version Shiva became a bhikshandar due to this act of killing Brahma and had to wander around till Utthamar koil to get relief from the curse.

How to reach:

The Road from Tirukattupalli along the Vellar north bank ends at this temple a right turn leads to Tanjore and a left turn leads to Tiruvaiyaru, So about  a few furlongs from the Tiruvaiyaru temple brings us in front of this temple

Legends of the temple:

Once Parvathy mistook Brahma for Shiva as both of them had 5 heads and she did pada pooja for Brahma mistaking him to be Shiva this gave a ego boost to Brahma which enraged shiva and he chopped of the fifth head of Brahma here.

The rajagopuram leads us to an inner praharam which has the Mirror bedecked palanquin for the lord  in this sapthastanam  There is ,a Raja Ganapathy shrine under a Bhilva tree seen  behind the Nandi here and on the opposite side is the Mangalambikai ambal sannidhi

Ganapathy temple

 

Ambal sannidhi

The next gopuram leads us to the inner praharam

The main sanctum has a shiva lingam and the separate sannidhi for Brahma with saraswathy. The idol of Brahma is about 3-4 feet tall which is seen below

The decorated pallakku

way to Brahma sannidhi from the Main sannidhi

Way to the main sannidhi

 

The inner praharam has many Siva lingams worshipped by the sages, a kailasanathar

 

 

The ambal sannidhi as viewed from outside

 

The Nandi on the way out