Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

1126 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
High medieval · Hindu · India

Karkadeswarar Temple

திருந்துதேவன்குடி கற்கடகேசுவரர் கோயில்

Thirundudevankudi, Tamil Nadu · 11.0159°, 79.4218°

Shiva (Karkadeswarar)UndeterminedPaadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
1000 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
dating unrecorded
Undetermined

History & significance

One of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, glorified in the early medieval Tevaram by Tirugnanasambandar; the shrine near Thiruvisanallur is known as the "crab temple" (karkadam) from its founding legend.

Sthala katha — the legend

A gandharva cursed by Durvasa to live as a crab worshipped the lingam here, and when Indra struck at it a hole opened in the lingam to shelter the creature.

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Related sites

Brihadisvara Temple
Thanjavur · India
1003–1010 CE
Airavatesvara Temple
Darasuram, Kumbakonam · India
mid-12th c. CE
Meenakshi Amman Temple
Madurai · India
current structure largely 16th–17th c.
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram · India
core 10th c.; expanded to 13th c.
Ekambareswarar Temple
Kanchipuram · India
Chola core; Vijayanagara gopuram 1509
Ramanathaswamy Temple
Rameswaram · India
12th–18th c. (great corridor 18th c., Sethupathis)

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Undetermined