to have worshiped Kailasanathar at this place and was restored all his powers. Architecture The temple is located in the village of Thingalur, from Kumbakonam on the Kumbakonam - Thiruvayyar road and away from Thanjavur. The temple has a recently built three-tiered rajagopuram surrounded by single prakaram, closed precincts of the temple. The place is revered by the verses of Appar, but since there is no mention about the deity, it is not classified as Padal petra stalam. The image of Chandra is located in the first precinct and houses the image made of black granite and usually clad with white cloth. The temple tank is named Chandrapushkarani. The gopuram and the central shrine faces East, while the main entrance faces South. There are other shrines for Ambal, Subramanya, Gajalakshmi and Bhairavar. In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. Religious importance The temple is one of the nine Navagraha temples of Tamil Nadu and is a part of the popular Navagraha pilgrimage in the state - it houses the image of Moon (called Thingal locally). The planets are believed to influence the horoscope computed based on time of one's birth and subsequently influence the course of life. Each of the planets are believed to move from a star to another during a predefined period and thus sway over an individual's fortunes. The Navagrahas, as per Hindu customs, are believed to provide both good and bad effects for any individual and the bad effects are mitigated by prayers. As in other Navagraha temples, the common worship practices of the devotees include offering of cloth, grains, flowers and jewels specific to the planet deity. Lighting a set of lamps is also commonly followed in the temple. As per contemporary Saivite belief, the energies distributed cyclically by Navagrahas can be channeled based on remedial measures. As per local legends, Shiva, the overlord of the nine planetary deities, allowed them to freely grant wishes based on devotion of the devotees. The village finds cursory mention in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars and classified as Vaippu Sthalam. The temple is frequented by devotees with mental illness and familial problems. Worship and festivals The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.