The reputation of Kasi Viswanathar temple on the banks of Cauvery is in its having five Shivalingas making it a Panchalinga temple and a separate shrine for the holy Ganga.

People pray here for removal of obstacles in marriage alliances, for child boon and a distinction in education.

Probably, this is the only temple with five Lords and Five Mother-Goddesses.

It is a known story that Vibeeshana, brother of Ravana failed in his attempts to persuade Ravana to hand over Sita to Lord Rama. Committed to Dharma in his life, Vibeeshana left Ravana and joined Lord Rama in his war against Ravana. The monkey army behind Rama could not stand the onslaught of Indrajit, son of Ravana who demonstrated high degree of war skills and fell fainted. Many thought that the situation could be managed only if the Atma Linga in Kasi brought to the battlefield.

Vibeeshana went to Kasi and was returning with the Atmalinga. On his way, he placed the Linga on earth to worship Lord Vinayaka in the Uchi Pillayar temple in Trichy. He could not lift the Linga from the Earth then, built a temple on the banks of Cauvery and returned.

That is the Sri Visalakshi-Kasi Viswanathar temple in Keela Chintamani in Tiruchi now. As the temple is on the banks of Cauvery, during floods, things within the temple had been washed away. Thus was lost the history of the temple (sthala purana – the history of the land). Even now, as the side wall of the temple is built inside the river, water is dashing against the temple wall.

Besides Kasi Viswanatha-Sri Visalakshi, other Shivalingas – Vaidyanathar-Thaiyalnayaki, Ekambareswarar-Kanchi Kamakshi, Meenakshi-Sundareswarar and Jambukeswarar and Aakhilandeswari are also installed in the same temple, it has the reputation of being celebrated as Panchalinga temple.

The Kasi Viswanathar temple on the banks of Cauvery is just 6 feet high. The sanctum sanctorum housing the Lord and Mother Visalakshi measures just 5 x 3 feet only. The priests have to enter the sanctum sanctorum with difficulty. Devotees have to bend to L shape to have the Lord’s darshan. The philosophy is that however great and tall are men in society, they have but to bend before God. Tall people cannot worship the Lord in the temple.

There is a special shrine for the Holy Ganga. Shrines for Navagrahas (9 planets), Lord Mahavishnu, Mother Durga are now added.