Vedagiriswarar temple, Hindu temple in Thirukazhukkundram, Tamil Nadu, India

Vedagiriswarar is a Hindu temple in Thirukazhukkundram, Tamil Nadu, dedicated to Lord Shiva and positioned on an elevated hill overlooking the surrounding landscape. The complex includes several gopurams with elaborate sculptures of deities, halls with carved pillars, and separate shrines for different gods interconnected through courtyards.

The temple is about 1,400 years old. Archaeologists identify a stone mandapa on the hill as a Shiva shrine built under the Pallava king Mahendravarman I (reigned c. 610–640). Inscriptions from the 7th century onward record Pallava, Chola, Pandya and Rashtrakuta involvement. The four poet-saints Appar, Sundarar, Manickavasagar and Thirugnanasamandhar sang hymns here, and Arunagirinathar composed Thirupugazh hymns at Thirukazhukundram.

The name Thirukazhukundram joins thiru (respectful), kazhugu (vulture or eagle) and kundram (mount), and the town is also called Pakshi-theertham, bird holy lake. Priests traditionally feed a pair of birds, most likely Egyptian vultures, that arrive before noon for offerings of rice, wheat, ghee and sugar; their failure to appear was blamed on sinners among onlookers. A shrine, Nalvar Koil, honours the four poet-saints Appar, Sundarar, Manickavasagar and Thirugnanasamandhar.

The ascent to the temple requires climbing several staircases from the base of the hill, with the path taking roughly 45 minutes for average walkers. Morning hours are most comfortable to avoid heat, and suitable footwear is advisable for the steep sections.

The site is revered as a Rahu-Ketu thalam, meaning devotees come here to perform special rituals associated with the lunar nodes of Vedic astrology. This practice draws people seeking to address astrological challenges in their birth charts.