Swetharanyeswarar Temple, Thiruvenkadu

Swetharanyeswarar Temple stands in Thiruvenkadu, Mayiladuthurai district, and is dedicated to Shiva as Swetharanyeswarar, with Parvati as Brahmavidyambigai. Praised in the Tevaram, it is a Paadal Petra Sthalam and one of the nine Navagraha temples, linked to Budha (Mercury). Legend tells that Shiva took the fierce form of Aghoramurthi to kill the demon Maruthuvasuran here, and that Budha won his place among the planets by worshipping Shiva at this spot.

The two-acre complex is entered through a seven-tier gopuram, and granite walls enclose its shrines and three tanks. The shrines of Swetharanyeswarar, Aghora and Nataraja are the most important, and the Nataraja image is noted for its beauty. The original is credited to the Cholas, with inscriptions recording gifts from Aditya Chola and Rajaraja Chola, and the present masonry to 16th-century Vijayanagar kings. Six rituals take place daily, and Chitra Pournami and Aani Thirumanjanam are the main festivals.