Tiruvarur town is the head quarters for Tiruvarur district, located at a distance of 58-km from Thanjavur and 25-km from Nagappatinam. Tiruvarur is the birthplace of Carnatic musicians "Sangeeta Mummurthigal " Thyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dheshidar and Syama Shastri. The Arulmigu Thyagarajaswamy Temple at Tiruvarur is one of the biggest in the country and this temple has the biggest temple chariot in Tamil Nadu. The chariot is very beautiful and Arulmigu Thyagarajaswamy Car festival celebrated here in months of March -April attracts large crowds.
In the temple there is an excellent and unique musical instrument called "Panchamuga Vadyam" with five faces. Each face is ornamented; one with a snake, another with lotus and another one is plain without decorations. One has a Swastik sign. Over each face leather is spread and over the central one Deerskin is spread. It is said that Nanchi Devi played on this instrument when Lord Shiva danced.