Kampaheswarar Temple (Thirubuvanam Sarabeshwarar Temple)

Temple information

Darshan timings

06:00 – 20:30

Best time to visit

Early morning hours on mid-week non-festival days to experience a peaceful darshan atmosphere

Deity

Deity form

Swayambhu Shiva Lingam (Primary), and a massive 7-foot tall standing dynamic idol of Sarabeshwarar (Fusion of man, lion, and eagle)

Religious tradition

Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta and traditional Agamic rituals overseen by Dharmapuram Adheenam

Sanskrit name

श्रीकम्पहरेश्वर-शरभेश्वर-मन्दिरम् (त्रिभुवनम्)

Also known as

Sarabeshwarar Kovil, Thirubuvanam Shivan Temple, Nadukkam Theertha Nayagan

Darshan hours

Monday

06:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 04:00 PM to 08:30 PM

Tuesday

06:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 04:00 PM to 08:30 PM

Wednesday

06:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 04:00 PM to 08:30 PM

Thursday

06:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 04:00 PM to 08:30 PM

Friday

06:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 04:00 PM to 08:30 PM

Saturday

06:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 04:00 PM to 08:30 PM

Sunday

06:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 04:00 PM to 09:00 PM

Break timings

12:00PM -04:00PM

Special days

Extended near continuous operating patterns on Aadi Velli, Navarathri, and New Moon nights

Festival timings

Open for extended night durations without mid-day closure intervals during major transits

Aarti & rituals

Morning aarti

06

Midday aarti

12:00 PM

Evening aarti

5:30 PM

Night aarti

8:15 PM

Special aarti days

Sundays feature a phenomenal crowd surge for the specific Rahu Kaalam Pooja with massive ghee lamp arrangements

Ritual schedule

Four systematic daily ritual sessions executed strictly under traditional Shaiva Agamic metrics

Pooja timings

Public public darshans and customized remedies run systematically throughout all open hours

Abhishek timings

Special Sarabeshwarar Abhishekam and elite honey/milk offerings performed during scheduled weekly hours

Special poojas

11-Week Sunday Rahu Kaalam Pooja, Sarabeswarar Homam, and dynamic enemy obstacle elimination archanas

Online pooja booking

No

History & heritage

Historical period

Medieval

Built by

Built completely by the last great powerful Chola Monarch, Emperor Kulothunga Chola III

Architect / builder

Imperial Chola Sthapathis (Master Architects)

Construction materials

monolithic stone framework, traditional grey granite blocks, and lime mortar plaster

Historical events

Constructed specifically as a grand monumental memorial to commemorate the King's successful northern campaign victories

Renovations

Renovated across subsequent eras by Pandyas, Vijayanagara rulers, and actively maintained today by the Dharmapuram Adheenam

Archaeological importance

An ancient historical monument protected legally under state tracking registries, containing vital Grantha records

Legends

Lord Shiva assumed the multi-legged bird-beast form of Sharabha to calm and subdue the fiery fury of Vishnu's Narasimha avatar

Inscriptions

Lithic wall etchings on the southern side documenting the campaign tracks of Kulothunga Chola III and Arya Sri-Somanatha

Architecture

Architectural style

Dravidian

Architectural period

Late Medieval South Indian Chola Era

Structure

Sprawling enclosed Prakaram compound system mimicking a majestic chariot-like layout blueprint

Floors

1

Gopuram

Features a grand five-tiered pyramidal Rajagopuram gate tower that is unusually wide and stands roughly 130 feet tall

Mandapa

Massive stone-pillared assembly halls decorated with gorgeous multi-color paintings across structural walls and ceilings

Sculptural features

Exquisite reliefs tracking entire epic Ramayana episodes and the oldest Chola representation of the lion-faced Yali monster

Artistic elements

Houses highly detailed panchaloha bronze icons of Sarabeshwarar dating back strictly to the original dynastic timeline

Construction technique

Interlocking precision dry-granite monolithic masonry featuring unique Vrittasputitas circular pilasters

Unique features

The temple Vimana over the sanctum is designed to stand unusually high, directly equalling the height of the outer Rajagopuram tower

Festivals & events

Festival calendar

Adheres precisely to the ancient solar-lunar traditional Tamil almanac cycles

Special celebration days

Every single Sunday (specifically during the 04:30 PM - 06:00 PM Rahu Kaalam block), and monthly Pradosham days

Cultural events

Devotional classical carantic music and spiritual lectures organized during the annual festival transits

Annual events

The grand Rathotsavam (Chariot Car pull) where the majestic processional car is pulled across the village streets

Peak crowd season

Peak visitor surges during winter vacation months, holiday long weekends, and every single Sunday evening

Visitor information

• ✓ Parking
• ✓ Restrooms
• ✓ Drinking water
• ✓ Shoe keeping
• ✓ Prasadam counter
• ✓ Photography allowed

Dress code

Traditional

Best time to visit

Early morning hours on mid-week non-festival days to experience a peaceful darshan atmosphere

Parking capacity

30-40 vehicles

Parking fees

approx. 20 INR

Donation counters

Yes

Donation methods

Cash, UPI, Bank Transfer

Prasadam

Traditional sweet pongal or sugar drops