Situated on the Tiruchengode mountain at a height of 465 m, Arthanari Ishwarar Koil is the only Shiva temple in
Tamil Nadu dedicated to
Lord Shiva in the form of arthanarishwara. The idol is 5' high and is made from a herbal compound. The temple also has shrines for
Murugan (Chengottu Valavar) and
Vishnu.
The temple is 170 ft long and 95 ft wide and the main structures of the temple date back to the seventh century. Certain other structures were constructed in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Tradition recounts that the statue of Nandi in the dance hall came to life and ate grains on hearing the songs of Sivaprakasar, a visiting Shaivite saint.
