page_title: Devanathaswamy temple
section_title: Architecture
hierarchical_section_title: Devanathaswamy temple / Architecture
caption_attribution_description: English: Devanathaswamy temple
context_page_description: Devanathaswamy temple in Thiruvanthipuram, a village in the outskirts of Cuddalore in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Devanathaswamy and his consort Lakshmi as Hemabhujavalli. Though the presiding deity is Devanathaswamy, the temple is known for Hayagriva, the horse faced avatar of Vishnu. The temple is the only historical temple in South India to have a shrine of Hayagriva.
  The temple in its current form is believed to have been built during the Medieval Cholas, with later expansion from Pandyas, Hoysala Empire and Vijayanagara Empire. The temple has fifty inscriptions from Kulothunga Chola I, Vikrama Chola, Rajaraja Chola III, Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan, Vikrama Pandya, Vira Pandya III, Vijayanagar king Achyuta Deva Raya and Koperunjinga.
  A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and bodies of water.
context_section_description: The temple is located on the foothills of Outshadagiri, a small hill, which houses the temple of Hayagriva. The river Kedilam, located on the other side of the temple flows from south to north and is locally called Uttaravahini. The temple built in Dravidian Architecture, is the only Vishnu temple built on the banks of the river, while there are a few prominent Shiva temples. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and bodies of water. The temples faces east, but the rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower, is located on the western entrance and has five tiers and raises to a height of 60 ft (18 m). The image of the presiding deity, Devanathaswamy, is housed in the central shrine. The sanctum also houses the image the consort, Senkamalavalli Thayar (also called Hemabhujavalli, Vaikunta Nayagi and Amruthavarshini) in sitting posture. The festival images of Vishnu, called by different names like Moovaraghia oruvan, Achuta, Dvistantha, Devanatha, Vibhuthanatha and Dasyatha, is housed in the sanctum. The temple houses the images of other deities like Pallikonda Perumal, Andal, AdiKesava Perumal, Azhwars, Hanumar and Garuda. There is a separate shrine housing Rama, though the presiding deity is Devanathaswamy, the temple is known for Hayagriva, the horse faced avatar of Vishnu. The images of Garuda and Hanuman are depicted in unique postures of Anajalihasta, which is different compared to all other temples. The temple is the only historical temple in South India to have a shrine of Hayagriva.
caption: Image of Lakshmi Hayagriva temple uphill
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