There are nine Navagrahas or planets in Hindu astrology, and Ketu is the ninth. Ketu is a lunar node on the southern side of the Moon (Chandra). Lord Ganesha is Ketu’s presiding deity. Ketu is a gloomy planet that does not exist physically and moves in the opposite direction. Ketu completes the zodiac circle in 18 years since he travels through each sign in approximately 1.5 years.
In Vedic astrology, Ketu is ruled by theology, monastic life, crime and punishment, hidden enemies and threats, and occult. Mental illness, deep thinking, a desire for knowledge, shifting circumstances, spiritual development, comets, and cheating are also associated with Ketu.
Ketu is believed to bestow wisdom, spiritual tendencies, asceticism, and a lack of attachment to material goals and desires if it is placed in a favorable position in Vedic astrology. A weak Ketu can also cause endless worries, blurry vision, and difficulty concentrating, while a weak Ketu can give psychic abilities and make healing experts.
Two kilometers from Poompuhar, in the village of Keelaperumpallam, is the Hindu temple known as Naganatha Swamy Temple. The god of the universe is Ketu. Shiva, or Naganatha Swamy, is its most prominent idol. A flat rajagopuram is surrounded by two prakarams, or closed temple precincts.
In the temple, Mahasivarathri, Margazhi Thiruvadirai, Panguni Uthiram, and Thirukartigai are the main celebrations. The village is only mentioned in passing in the Tamil Saiva canonical work Tevaram, written in the 7th century and categorized as a Vaippu Sthalam. It was written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars.
At festivals and on a daily basis, temple priests carry out the pooja, or rituals. These priests are employed by the Shaivaite community, a subcaste of Brahmins, as well as other Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. During worship, nagaswaram (a type of pipe instrument) and tavil (a percussion instrument) music fills the air while Vedic scriptures are read by the priests and worshipers offer their prostrations to the temple mast. The temple also has weekly practices such as somavaram and sukravaram, fortnightly practices like pradosham, and monthly celebrations like amavasai (the new moon), kiruthigai, pournami (the full moon), and Chaturthi. Some of the major festivals observed at this temple include Mahasivarathri, Margazhi Thiruvadirai, Panguni Uthiram, and Vasuki Utsavam during Panguni. One unique tradition of this temple is giving rice to infants for their first meal. Additionally, every 2.5 years during planetary transitions, the temple hosts celebrations for the Rahu-Ketu transition.
On the Thanjavur-to-Poompuhar road, the temple is 2 km (1.2 mi) from Poompuhar and 93 km (58 mi) from Thanjavur. There is a single prakaram and a newly constructed flat rajagopuram within the temple’s closed precincts. Since the deity is not mentioned in the Appar verses, it is not considered a Padal petra stalam.
