Sri Hara Saabha Vimochana Perumal Temple

Thirumangai Alvar sang one pasuram glorifying this temple, and it is one of only two Chola Nadu Divya Desams (the other being Uthamarkoil near Tiruchirappalli) where images of the Hindu trinity, Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, are housed together within the same temple premises. This shared Trimurti character links Kandiyur directly back to Uthamarkoil's own version of the Kapala Mochana legend, even though the two temples are a considerable distance apart.

According to the Brahmanda Purana, Brahma originally had five heads. When Parvati once mistakenly worshipped Brahma instead of her husband Shiva, an enraged Shiva severed one of Brahma's heads, which then stuck fast to his hand as a consequence of Brahma's curse. To be freed of this sin, Shiva is said to have first worshipped Vishnu as Bhikshatana at Thirukarambanur (Uthamarkoil), where part of the burden was lifted, before finally coming to Thirukandiyur and bathing in the temple tank here. Only after this second stage was Shiva fully released from the curse, and because Vishnu granted this vimochana (release) from Hara's (Shiva's) saabha (curse), the presiding deity and the temple itself came to be known as Hara Saabha Vimochana Perumal. The temple tank where the skull is said to have finally fallen away is remembered as Kapala Theertham, "kapala" meaning skull.

Separate from legend, the temple is generally dated to the late 8th century CE, built under the Medieval Cholas, with later contributions recorded from the Vijayanagara empire and the Madurai Nayaks, placing Kandiyur's construction in the same broad period as its Uthamarkoil counterpart.

The temple is built in the Dravidian style characteristic of the Chola Nadu Divya Desams, with separate shrines for Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma sharing the same premises, a configuration rare enough in Tamil Nadu that Kandiyur is regularly discussed alongside Uthamarkoil as one of only two such combined Trimurti sites in this region.

Daily worship follows the customary schedule of the Chola Nadu Divya Desams, with rituals conducted for each of the temple's Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma shrines.