Pasupatheesvarar Temple, Pasupathikoil

Pasupatheesvarar Temple is at Pasupathikoil, about 14 km from Thanjavur on the main road to Kumbakonam. It is one of the seven Saptamangai sthalams of Chakkarappalli, each tied to one of the Saptamatrikas; here Kali is said to have appeared as Varahi and worshipped Shiva. Kamadhenu is also said to have done penance here, and because a cow worshipped the god, the goddess is called Palvalanayaki.

The temple is said to have been first built by Kochchenganan. A three-tier rajagopuram, the biggest of the seven temples, faces east, with Thanjavur Nayak style sculptures on either side of the entrance. A large outer prakara holds a vilva tree, a well and shrines to Dakshinamurthy, Jestadevi, Sanisvara, Bhairava, a naga deity and Gajalakshmi. The main shrines of the god, the goddess and Uchista Vinayaka sit on an upper level reached by steps from the south.