திருக்கண்டியூர் பிரம்மசிரகண்டீஸ்வரர் கோயில்Thirukandiyur Kandeeswarar (Brahmasira Kandeeswarar) Temple

Sthala Mahātmyam

Kandeeswarar (Brahmasira Kandeeswarar) Temple at Thirukkandiyur, near Tiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district, is the Ashta Veerattanam shrine commemorating Shiva's severing of one of Brahma's five heads. Per the legend, Brahma's arrogance — variously described as his growing a fifth head, or Parvati mistakenly performing patha-pooja to Brahma's feet — provoked Shiva to pluck off the offending head with his nail; the skull clung to his palm as the Brahmahatya curse until it was finally released here. The presiding lingam is worshipped as Kandeeswarar with his consort as Mangalanayagi (Mangalambikai). Unusually, the temple maintains a separate shrine for Brahma, and the nearby Hara-Saabha-Vimochana Perumal (Vishnu) temple is associated with Shiva's release from the curse. A Paadal Petra Sthalam sung in the Tevaram, it participates in the Sapthasthanam festival of Tiruvaiyaru during Panguni, when the deities of the Aiyarappar temple visit Thirukandiyur among seven shrines.