karchapeswarar temple

Karchapeswarar Temple is one of the few, rare temples in India where Lord Shiva is depicted in his kurmasana avatar 

While a fascinating mythological lore underlies Karchapeswarar or Karchabeswarar temple, little is know about its origins. Legends have it that as the Devas and Asuras churned the ocean for the elixir of immortality with Mandra Malai, a hill, Lord Vishnu took the avataar of tortoise (koorma avatar) and rested the hill on his back. Flailing in strength, Lord Vishnu prayed to Lord Shiva for strength and was blessed by him.

Built possibly by the Vijayanagara kings, Karchapeswara temple was essentially the inspiration behind Kachaleeswarar temple in Chennai. One of the few, rare temples where Lord Shiva is depicted in his kurmasana avatar, Karchapeswarar temple’s walls are inscribed with incredible reliefs from mythological lores.