Thiruloki Akhilandeswari Samedha Sundareswara Swamy Temple…
Temples act as the main pillar of Sanatana Dharma, and hence, let’s cheerfully visit the holy temples like the one, Sri Akhilandeswari Samedha Sri Sundareswara Swamy Temple, situated in Tiruloki, in order to purify ourselves and to get rid from our sins and diseases. Sundaresvarar Temple, Tiruloki, is a Siva temple in Tiruloki, in Thiruvidaimarudur Taluk in Thanjavur District in Tamil Nadu. It is situated at about a distance of 5 km far away from Thiruppanandal. This place was also called as Emanallur. Address: Shivan Kovil St, Tiruloki, Tamil Nadu 609804. I am planning to visit this marvellous temple on next month, that is, during the month of March 2026.
The presiding deity is known as Sundaresvarar, and his beautiful consort is known as Akilandeswari. The sculpture of Siva with his consort on Sri Nandhiyampathi Peruman is very beautiful in this temple. This Tevaram Vaippu Sthalam is mentioned in one of Appar’s pathigams. Karuvur Siddhar has sung a Tiruvisaippaa on this temple.
The sthala puranam here is connected with the Ksheerapthi Sayana Narayana Perumal temple nearby. When Lakshmi was unable to bear the separation from Vishnu, she came to Bhulokam looking for Him. Sage Markandeyar visited this temple and worshipped Siva and Parvati in their Rishabharoodar form, and being a guru sthalam, he was able to obtain divine vision on how Lakshmi could locate Vishnu, so, when she came looking for Vishnu, the sage advised Her on where to go and how to worship, in order to be reunited with Vishnu. As a result of this, Vishnu gave Lakshmi a permanent place on His chest.
Brhaspati, or Guru – the planet Juipter and the preceptor of the Devas – worshipped here, and so this place is considered a guru sthalam, as also a place for overcoming any dosham related to Guru, in one’s horoscopes.
Located northeast of this temple are Ponnur and Korukkai, both places and temples connected with the burning of Kama (Manmadhan) and his subsequent renewed life and reuniting with his consort Rati. After his resurrection, Kama, along with Rati, worshipped Siva here, and are enshrined in the temple as murtis. This is therefore a prarthana sthalam for those with strained marriages.
Earlier, this place used to be called Trailokya Mahadeviyar Chaturvedi Mangalam(Now this place is popularly called as TRILOKI) – Trailokya Mahadevi was one of the queens of Raja Raja Chola I, and she herself was an ardent devotee of Siva and Vishnu, having made several contributions to temples, and in particular, funding copper-based utsava murtis of Kalyanasundarar. According to another inscription, in the time of Rajendra Chola I, this place was called Rajendra Simha Valanaattu Manninattu Emanalluragiya Trailokya Mahadeviyar Chaturvedi Mangalam.
As with the nearby Perumal temple, this temple too is regarded as being over 5000 years old, and also considered to be originally from the Pallava period, with renovations by the Cholas in the early/middle 11th century. However, up until 2012, the temple did not have a raja gopuram, and other significant renovations were also done at this time.
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”
COMPILED BY
R. HARISHANKAR