It is the fourth brightest in the universe and has been known since prehistoric times. Jupiter features in Greek mythology as the King of Gods, the ruler of Olympus.

In India, Jupiter has been revered as not only the officiating priest of the Devas, but also as their teacher and guide; hence the name, Guru. He bestows on his devotees the ability to excel in education, fine arts, and oratory skills. A person who prays to him regularly also does exceedingly well at his work place.

When Guru is not well placed on one´s horoscope the person shows a tendency for these afflictions: obesity, liver and kidney problems, diabetes, and problems with the muscles, blood, nerves, hearing impairment, or asthma. Praying at a Guru shrine is said to keep these problems at bay.

Alangudi

This temple is dedicated to Kasi Aranyeswara at Alangudi, about 17 km from Kumbakonam. The temple is built on the southern banks of the Cauvery, surrounded by green paddy fields, lotus and lily ponds. The temple is situated in the centre of the village,

The temple is of massive proportions and is easily visible even from a distance. It is more than 1400 years old.

As one enters the temple the first deity one sees is that of Vinayaka, He is said to keep away mental stress and distress. The ancillary shrines around the temple are of Surya,Nataraja,Saneeswara, and Agastya. In this temple,Dakshina Moorthy is depicted as Guru,i.e.,Shiva as Adi Guru, the first of all gurus.

Shiva is popularly worshipped as Nataraja,The King Of dance. As Dakshina Moorthy, he teaches the veena to his disciples. He gives spiritual knowledge to the devotee. Even the most mundane wish is granted by him.

This is a temple dedicated to Jupiter. Here, Shiva is shown seated with four disciples around him. Since guru is the planet in charge of progeny, praying for a remedy for childlessness or for the well-being of one´s children is particularly effective here.

The shrine attracts a large number of devotees when Jupiter transits between zodiac signs. Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, is said to have been reborn on the banks of the Amrita Pushkarini within the temple precincts, before being reunited with Shiva.

The temple is open daily between 6am-1pm, 4pm-9pm.

Thiru Tenkudi Thittai

If you are short of time, you can visit this temple instead of Alangudi. This temple is situated about 5 km from Tanjore very near Thingaloor, the temple for Chandra. Alangudi and Thingaloor are in opposite directions which mean a fair amount of travel.

This temple, though not well known as the others, is a very ancient temple, built before the seventh century AD. It is entirely built of granite.

The presiding deity here is Swayambhudevar. His consort is Ulaganayaki also known as Mangalambikai and Sugandha-koondal-ambikai (Ambikai with fragrant hair).

Guru peyarchi the apparent transition of Guru from one constellation to another.

The temple is open daily between 6am-12am,4am-8am.