Photo 1 / 4Rajagopuram at the end of the street. Photo: Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Oppiliappan Temple
About the Temple
Oppiliappan Koil stands at Thiruvinnagar, beside Thirunageswaram on the eastern edge of Kumbakonam. Vishnu is worshipped here as Venkatachalapathy with Bhoomidevi, and many devotees see the temple as a southern counterpart of Tirupati. By custom every food offering is cooked without salt, which gives the deity the name Uppiliappan.
Why visit
- Visit a Divya Desam where every offering to the deity is made without salt.
- Combine it with the Thirunageswaram Rahu temple a few hundred metres away.
Temple Timings
- Morning
- 6:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Evening
- 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Official source, checked 22 Oct 2026 · Source
Closed from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Before You Go
- Time to allow
45 minutes to 1.5 hours inside the temple. This is a planning allowance, not a queue time; festival days take longer.
- Dress
No dress notice for this temple was found. Wear traditional clothes that cover the body, such as a dhoti or trousers with a shirt for men and a sari or churidar for women, and check the board at the gate.
Reported by livelaw.in, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Source
- Phones
Oppiliappan is on the HR&CE list of 52 temples. Since 14 October 2026 phones may be carried in only if switched off, and a ₹5 deposit counter remains. The rule is new, so confirm it at the gate.
Reported by dtnext.in, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Source
- Access
HR&CE lists wheelchairs near the flagstaff, free footwear storage by the main gateway tower and toilets inside the temple. Step counts and a step-free route were not confirmed.
Official source, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Source
- Photography
Photos and video of the idols and pujas, selfies and posting such content online are not allowed at the 52 listed temples, Oppiliappan included.
Reported by dtnext.in, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Source
Highlights
- Salt-free offerings
Every food offering to the deity is made without salt, and salt or salted food must not be carried past the Garuda shrine. The custom gives the deity the name Uppiliappan.
- Day-and-night tank
The temple tank is called the day-and-night pool because tradition allows bathing at any hour. HR&CE now permits bathing only while the temple is open.
- Gold-plated sanctum tower
The tower over the sanctum is plated with gold, and the temple keeps a golden plate and pot for the deity's ritual bath.
- A southern Tirupati
Devotees treat the temple as a southern counterpart of Tirupati and come here for weddings, vows, a child's first tonsure and ear piercing.
Sources: oppiliappanperumal.hrce.tn.gov.in, en.wikipedia.org · checked 22 Oct 2026
How to reach Oppiliappan Temple
- By train: Kumbakonam (KMU) · about 5 km
- By road: HR&CE says Thirunageswaram railway halt is about 2 km from the temple and Kumbakonam bus stand about 8 km, with town buses 15, 23 and 58 and minibuses.
Sources: wikidata.org, oppiliappanperumal.hrce.tn.gov.in · checked 22 Oct 2026
Nearby Places
- Thirunageswaram Naganathar TempleThe Rahu temple of the Navagraha circuit, a few hundred metres away.0.4 km away
- Sarangapani Temple, KumbakonamThe largest Vishnu temple in Kumbakonam and a Divya Desam.6.2 km away
- Nachiyar KoilA Divya Desam where the goddess takes precedence, known for its stone Garuda.5.3 km away
Sources: tirunageswaramnaganathar.hrce.tn.gov.in, openstreetmap.org, en.wikipedia.org · checked 22 Oct 2026
Questions Visitors Ask
Is there a dress code at Oppiliappan Temple?
No dress notice for this temple was found. Wear traditional clothes that cover the body, such as a dhoti or trousers with a shirt for men and a sari or churidar for women, and check the board at the gate.
Why is the food offering at Oppiliappan made without salt?
HR&CE says every offering to the deity is made without salt, and that salt or salted food must not be carried past the Garuda shrine. Legend links the custom to Vishnu's marriage to Bhoomidevi, raised by the sage Markandeya.
What are the Oppiliappan temple timings?
HR&CE lists 6:00 am to 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Festival days can change the hours.
Can I take my phone into Oppiliappan temple?
Since 14 October 2026 you may carry a switched-off phone. Photos, video and selfies inside are banned, and a ₹5 deposit counter remains.
How far is Oppiliappan from Thirunageswaram and Kumbakonam?
It is a few hundred metres from the Thirunageswaram Naganathar temple. HR&CE says Kumbakonam bus stand is about 8 km away, with town buses 15, 23 and 58.