Swamimalai is a panchayat town near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the banks of Kaveri river and is well known as fourth of the six shrines of lord Murugan or Kartikeya or Subramanya.
According to Hindu mythology, Kartikeya explains the meaning of the Pranava Mantra(Om) to his father Shiva and is believed in regional tradition that it is happened in this place Swamimalai.
In this temple, Kartikeya is displayed as a guru and Shiva as Shishya or student in the gopuram of the temple complex. The form of Kartikeya is known by the title Swaminathan and Tagapan Swami in this site.
This place is situated on a hill with sixty steps. These sixty steps are a symbol of our sixty years. Outside the Subramanya temple on the hill, there is the temple of Vigneshwara Swamy(lord Vinayaka).
Everyday, Swami is sanctified with Abhishekam perfored with Panchamruthas and Vedic mantras are recited. In Swamimalai, the temple of lord Subramanya is located above, and the temples of Meenakshi & Sundareshwar are located below.
Swamimalai bus stop is the nearest stop from the temple which is just 180m away and can be reached easily by walk.
