Vaitheeswaran Koil Angarakan Navagrahasthalam

Vaitheeswaran Koil, renowned throughout South India as a Navagraha temple chiefly associated with Planet Mars, is also referred to as Angarakan Navagrahasthalam. Legend has it that Lord Vaidyanatha Swamy (Lord Shiva) cured Mars of leprosy, earning the temple its name, Angarakan Navagrahasthalam. This incident inspired devotees to give Lord Shiva the name "Vaitheewaran," the healer of diseases.

A bronze figurine of Angaraka or Mars, within the temple premises, is taken out on procession on a goat mount, especially on every Tuesday, the day of Mangal or Mars. Characterized by a ruddy complexion and attired in red, Angaraka/Mangal/Mars is worshipped with immense devotion by those seeking healing from certain illnesses.

Vaitheeswaran Koil: Nadi Astrology

Vaitheeswaran Koil is renowned for its group of astrologers residing in the temple premises, known for their accurate predictions deciphered from inscriptions on palm leaves. It is believed that the lives of all human beings on the planet were foreseen by the sages who recorded their visions on inscriptions in the form of verses.

Predictions are written in an ancient Vatteluttu (Vattezhuthu) Tamil script, decipherable only by a Nadi astrologer. Nadi predictions have given Vaitheeswaran Koil an aura of mystery, attracting a maximum number of visitors seeking Nadi Jyotish.

Ezhuthani, a sharp nail-like instrument, is used to carve and record on each Nadi or set of palm leaves, the past, present, and future life readings of each human being. Sage Agathiyar, the original author of these inscriptions, preserved his divine revelations in the form of Nadi at the Tanjore Saraswati Mahal Library, Tamil Nadu. Despite most Nadi Leaves being auctioned during British rule, the families of astrologers retrieved them, passing them down through generations. Hence, Vaitheeswaran Koil is known as the birthplace of Nadi astrology and an authority on the same.

Surprisingly, there is a palm leaf for everyone, including Indians and those of other nationalities. One's thumb impression is gathered to read the palm leaf inscription for the individual. The whirls and loops on the fingers and thumbs are unique for each person and cannot be replicated.

According to the 108 types of thumbprints, the Nadi palm leaves are arranged. Nadi astrologers identify certain lines on the thumb and coin their questions in such a way that they can find the palm leaf that perfectly corresponds to the thumb or the person in question. These palm leaves predict accurately while also suggesting remedies to solve the problems hinted at in the leaves.