Agneeswarar Temple stands in Kanjanur, Tamil Nadu, honours Shiva, worshipped as Agneeswarar, with consort Karpagambigai. Sukran (Venus) is believed to reside within the deity itself, making this the Navagraha shrine for Venus. It is also known as Kanjanur Sukran Temple; historically also known as Palaasavanam, Brahmapuri, Agnistalam and Neelakudi.
Kanjanur is the designated Navagraha Sthalam for Sukran (Venus) among the nine planetary shrines of the circuit centered on Kumbakonam. Because Saivite tradition holds Shiva to be omnipresent, Sukra is believed to reside within the Shiva idol itself rather than occupying a separate large shrine. Friday worship here is associated with prosperity, marital harmony and material well-being, the attributes traditionally governed by Venus. Kanjanur is a Paadal Petra Sthalam praised in ten verses by the Nayanmar saint Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) in the sixth Thirumurai, and is also listed among the Vaippu Sthalams.
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 | 6:30 AM - 12:30 PM (Monday to Thursday, Sunday); 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Friday to Saturday) |
| Evening | 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Monday to Thursday, Sunday); 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Friday to Saturday) |
Friday morning, roughly 6:15 to 7:15 AM, is considered the most auspicious darshan window since Friday is Sukran's day.
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Maha Shivaratri | February to March | |
| Arudra Darsanam | December to January | |
| Navaratri | September to October | |
| Aadi Pooram | July to August |
History and architecture
Architecture
Dravidian style; a five-tier rajagopuram surrounded by two prakarams, with two temple tanks, Agni Theertham and Parasara Theertham
History
Kanjanur is a Paadal Petra Sthalam praised in ten verses by the Nayanmar saint Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) in the sixth Thirumurai, and is also listed among the Vaippu Sthalams. Temple wall inscriptions record land grants and endowments from Chola rulers including Kulothunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola, with later renovation and endowments under the Vijayanagara Empire. Temple legend holds that Shiva blessed the sage Parasara here with a vision of his cosmic dance.
Planning your visit
How to reach
About 18 km northeast of Kumbakonam and roughly 57 km from Thanjavur. Nearest railway station is Kumbakonam, and the temple is reachable by bus or taxi from Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Aduthurai and Anaikarai.
Where this information comes from
Confidence: Medium. History and architecture are well corroborated via Wikipedia; timings, entry fee and dress code rely mainly on a single travel-information source (trawell.in) and were not cross-verified against an official HR&CE page