Chakrapani Temple

Chakrapani Temple, 2 kilometres north-west of Kumbakonam railway station, is one of the town's prominent Vishnu temples. Here Vishnu appears as the chakra, or discus, and like Shiva he is shown with a third eye on his forehead.

Legend says Vishnu sent his discus, Sudarshana, to the underworld to kill the king Jalandasura, and it emerged through the Kaveri, where Brahma, bathing in the river, installed its image on this spot. The discus outshone Surya, the sun god, who worshipped it and had his powers restored; Vishnu then took the name Chakrapani and called the town Bhaskara Kshetra after Surya. Surya is believed to have worshipped here at Masi Magam, and the festival is held each year with the temple car drawn through the streets. The temple is also listed among the places where nectar spilled when Shiva's arrow broke the pot of nectar in the great deluge.