Arulmigu Guhanatheeswarar Temple

Temple information

Darshan timings

06:00 – 18:00

Established

1000

Best time to visit

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

Deity

Deity form

Ancient polished stone Shiva Lingam inside inner sanctum on elevated square granite pitha

Religious tradition

Vedic Agamic Shaiva Siddhanta & Imperial Chola Heritage

Sanskrit name

श्री गुहनाथीश्वर मन्दिरम्

Also known as

Kottar Choleswarar Temple, Rajaraja Chola Temple Kottar, Guganathaswamy Gudi

Darshan hours

Daily

06:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM

Break timings

12:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Monday to Friday only; open continuously on weekends)

Special days

Maha Shivaratri, Pradosham: 05:00 AM - 08:30 PM

Festival timings

Open till 08:30 PM on Maha Shivaratri

Aarti & rituals

Morning aarti

07:30 AM

Midday aarti

11:45 AM

Evening aarti

07:00 PM

Special aarti days

Mondays, Pradosham, Maha Shivaratri

Ritual schedule

Nitya Pooja to Guganatha Swamy, Archana, Sandhya Deeparadhana by local archaka under ASI & HR&CE coordination

Pooja timings

07:00 AM - 11:30 AM, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM

Abhishek timings

07:00 AM - 08:30 AM

Special poojas

Available

Online pooja booking

No

History & heritage

Historical period

Ancient

Built by

Imperial Chola Emperor Raja Raja Chola I (reigned 985–1014 CE)

Architect / builder

Master royal architects and sthapathis of the Imperial Chola guild

Construction materials

Solid dressed dark granite stone blocks, brick-lime vimana

Historical events

Built by Raja Raja Chola to commemorate his victorious military march across Venad and southern Kerala, renaming Kottar as "Mummudi Chola Nallur"

Renovations

Protected and conserved under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Chennai Circle with lush green lawns and structural consolidation

Archaeological importance

Centrally Protected Monument of National Importance (ASI Monument Identifier: N-TN-C18)

Legends

The temple is named Guganatha ("Lord of Guha/Murugan") indicating Lord Shiva, the father and preceptor of Lord Murugan

Inscriptions

Extensive Chola inscriptions on the granite plinth dating to the 11th year of Raja Raja Chola I, detailing military victories, tax exemptions, and endowments of perpetual ghee lamps

Architecture

Architectural style

Dravidian

Architectural period

1000 CE

Structure

Compact structural granite temple complex with stepped stone Vimana, ardhamandapa, mukhamandapa, and peaceful ASI garden enclosure

Floors

1

Gopuram

Two-tiered stone Vimana shikhara rising over the sanctum adorned with octagonal dome and kalasha

Mandapa

Pillared Ardhamandapa and Mukhamandapa supported by massive square granite columns bearing classical Chola reliefs

Sculptural features

Ancient polished stone Shiva Lingam; stone Dakshinamurti in southern niche; Chandikeshwara; carved stone Nandi facing sanctum

Artistic elements

Intricate makara toranas, deep-cut devakoshta niches, and calligraphic 11th-century Tamil inscriptions

Construction technique

Dry-stone interlocking granite block masonry without binding mortar

Unique features

The 1,000-year-old pristine stone temple built by Raja Raja Chola I standing as the southernmost imperial Chola monument in mainland India

Festivals & events

Festival calendar

Magha Bahula Chaturdashi (Shivaratri)

Special celebration days

Every Monday, Pradosham

Cultural events

Devotional bhajans and classical music during Shivaratri

Annual events

Maha Shivaratri celebrations drawing heritage lovers and Shaivite devotees

Peak crowd season

October to February

Visitor information

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

Dress code

Traditional

Best time to visit

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

Parking capacity

20-30 vehicles

Parking fees

Approx. 20-50 INR

Donation counters

Yes

Donation methods

Cash, UPI, Bank Transfer

Prasadam

Vibhuti/Kumkum.