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சூரியனார் கோவில்
Suryanar Kovil, Thanjavur dist, Tamil Nadu · 11.0297°, 79.4778°
The one Navagraha temple of Tamil Nadu whose principal shrine belongs to the Sun rather than to Shiva, raised under Kulothunga Chola I as the Kulottungachola-Marttandalaya and enlarged in the Vijayanagara period. It carries a five-tiered rajagopuram and is now run by the state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
Legend holds that the nine planetary deities, struck with leprosy by Brahma's curse and banished to Vellurukku Vanam, were allowed by Shiva to bless devotees from this spot.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chola
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…