About this temple
Thingalur’s Kailasanathar temple is the Chandra-associated stop near Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district. Shiva is the principal deity; the Moon’s shrine gives the temple its Navagraha circuit identity. Thingal means Moon in Tamil, and the local sacred narrative connects the place-name with Chandra’s worship.
History
Thingalur is associated with Apputhi Adigal and the devotional life of Thirunavukkarasar (Appar). The saint’s story records charity and hospitality in Appar’s name. This literary and religious association is distinct from an archaeological date for the current buildings; a securely documented original consecration year was not established in the consulted records.
Legends & Religious Traditions
Chandra, Daksha and the waxing Moon
The HRCE temple narrative recounts that Chandra married Daksha’s twenty-seven daughters but favoured Rohini and Krittika. Daksha cursed his brilliance to diminish. Chandra worshipped Shiva at this place; Shiva took the crescent upon his head and granted recurring growth after decline. The story explains the Moon’s phases through divine grace and the temple’s Chandra association.
Apputhi Adigal’s hospitality and Appar’s hymn
The Saiva saint narrative describes Apputhi naming his charitable water shelter and possessions after Thirunavukkarasar. When Appar visited, Apputhi’s son was bitten by a cobra while cutting a banana leaf for the meal. The family concealed its grief to continue serving the guest. Appar discovered what had happened and sang the hymn beginning Onrukolam; the boy was restored to life in the devotional account. This miracle story celebrates devotion and hospitality, not a remedy for snakebite.
Religious and Cultural Significance
The HRCE identifies this as Chandran Parihara Sthalam. Its Shiva worship, Chandra devotion and Apputhi–Appar narrative are related but distinct features of the shrine.
Rituals, Worship and Seva
HRCE lists milk and full abhishekam, archana, lamp offerings and annaprasanam among temple services. These offerings are devotional observances; claimed astrological benefits are beliefs.
How to Reach
Reach the Thiruvaiyaru area from Thanjavur and continue locally to Thingalur. Specify Kailasanathar’s Chandra shrine when arranging transport, since Thingalur and Kailasanathar names occur elsewhere.
Nearby Religious Places
Thiruvaiyaru’s Aiyarappar temple is a separate nearby Shaiva pilgrimage destination; the remaining Navagraha stops are spread across the delta and require road transfers.
Address and Location Details
Arulmigu Kailasanathaswamy Temple, Thingalur 613204, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.
Official Website and Contact
HRCE temple identifier TM014150. Listed office phone: 04362-261499. Address: Thingalur 613204, Thanjavur district.
Contradictory Accounts and Variations
The official English timing table labels some evening services and the afternoon closure as AM. The Tamil prose clearly distinguishes morning and evening, including an earlier opening on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It is used without repeating the contradictory clock labels. Chandra’s curse narrative is a sthala-purana, while Apputhi’s son’s restoration belongs to Saiva hagiography; neither dates the surviving fabric.