Hara Saabha Vimochana Perumal Temple, in Kandiyur in Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Hara Saabha Vimochana Perumal with consort Kamalavalli Nachiyar. It is also known as Thirukandiyur temple, Kandana Kshetram, Pancha Kamala Kshetram.
It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham composed by the Alvar poet saints. According to a legend drawn from the Brahmanda Purana, Shiva (Hara) came here to free himself from the curse (saabha) of Brahmahatya, the sin of killing Brahma, by worshipping Vishnu and bathing in the temple tank, giving the deity his name Hara Saabha Vimochana Perumal. The temple is also associated with relief from Brahmahatti Dosha for devotees. The temple is one of two in the Chola Nadu region, along with Uttamar Kovil near Tiruchirapalli, where images of the Hindu trinity Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are housed within the same premises.
Tamil Nadu carries a distinct temple identity of its own: Land of towering gopurams and living Dravidian temple traditions, from the Chola masterpieces to the great Pancha Bhoota Sthalas.
Darshan hours and daily worship
| Session | Timing (as published) |
|---|---|
| Morning | 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Evening | 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM |
Poojas and daily rituals
Six daily rituals are observed: Ushathkalam (7 AM), Kalasanthi (8 AM), Uchikalam (12 PM), Sayarakshai (6 PM), Irandamkalam (7 PM) and Ardha Jamam (10 PM), each with alangaram, neivethanam and deepa aradanai, accompanied by nagaswaram and tavil music
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Panguni Brahmmotsavam | Tamil month Panguni (March-April) | The most prominent annual festival at the temple |
| Chithirai Ther Thiruvizha | Tamil month Chithirai | A nine day chariot (Ther) festival culminating on the ninth day |
| Aipasi Pavithra Utsavam | Tamil month Aipasi (October-November) | |
| Vaikunta Ekadashi | Tamil month Margazhi (December-January) | |
| Karthigai Deepam | Tamil month Karthigai (November-December) |
History and architecture
Architecture
Dravidian style, with a five tiered rajagopuram, a granite boundary wall enclosing about one acre, two precincts, and a Garuda Mandapam and Maha Mandapam leading to the sanctum where Vishnu stands facing east
History
The temple is one of two in the Chola Nadu region, along with Uttamar Kovil near Tiruchirapalli, where images of the Hindu trinity Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are housed within the same premises. Local tradition holds the site has existed since the Treta Yuga and considers it older than the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam. It was glorified in hymns by Thirumangai Alvar.
Planning your visit
How to reach
Kandiyur is about 2 km from Thiruvaiyaru, between the Cauvery and Kudamurutti rivers, and roughly 33 km from Kumbakonam, reachable via the Thiruvaiyaru route or via Kumbakonam through the Pasupatheeswaram temple road
Where this information comes from
Confidence: Medium. Darshan timings and festival dates come from a secondary devotional site (aanmeegam.org) rather than an official temple source, and exact festival day-of-month dates could not be verified