Vaidyanatha Swamy Temple

The temple has a five tiered gopuram and large precincts. The central shrine is that of Vaitheeswaran, present as a lingam in the innermost sanctum. The first precinct around the sanctum holds the metal image of Subrahmanya, worshipped here as Muthukumara Swamy, who is said to have received a spear from Śiva. Other metal images in the sanctum are Nataraja, Somaskanda and Angāraka, with stone sculptures of Durga, Dakshinamoorthy, Surya, Jatayu, the Vedas and Sampati.

The shrine of Thayyalnayaki, who stands holding medicinal oil to cure the diseases of devotees, lies in the second precinct facing south. The large precinct also has a small shrine to Dhanvantari and a shrine to Angāraka in stone. The southern gateway leads to the temple tank, facing the Thayyalnayaki shrine. The Sthala Vriksha is margosa (neem), valued for its medicinal properties, by the eastern gateway, which also carries an Adi shrine holding a smaller replica of the main shrines. A fine metal image of Gangavisarjanar stands within. The shrine of Angāraka is near the eastern gateway in the third precinct.

The temple has five inscriptions, mainly of the period of Kulōttuṅga Chōḷa I. Those near the temple tank, the wall of the second precinct and the eastern gateway record gifts and renovation work undertaken in different periods. The temple was heavily renovated in 1767 and 1892, and in 1880 the flagstaff was plated with gold.

The temple is revered in the Tevaram hymns of the seventh century Saiva Nayanars Thirunavukkarasar and Sambandar, and is classified as a Paadal Petra Sthalam. They name it Pulirukkavelur. In verse 43 of the second Tirumurai, the beauty of Śiva is praised, wearing datura and laburnum flowers with the moon in his matted locks, and the goddess is named Thayyalnayaki, a young girl of eleven or twelve.

Nadi astrology is practised around the temple. It rests on the belief that the past, present and future lives of all people were foreseen by ancient sages and recorded on palm leaves in the old Tamil script Vatteluttu, by tradition attributed to the sage Agasthiyar. The leaves were once held at the Tanjore Sarasvati Mahal Library, and passed down through families of astrologers at the temple. A reader identifies an individual's leaf by the lines of the thumb impression.