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The word "Bangaru' in the Telugu language means “Gold." As the Goddess Kamakshi's idol in this temple is made of gold, the temple is named as 'Bangaru Kamakshi' temple.

The idol is said to have been originally brought from Kancheepuram during the Muslim invasion of the city.

The Kanchi Kamakoti Math of Kanchipuram administers this temple. In the 18th century CE, there was a series of military conflicts between India's independent rulers. Also, there was a struggle for dominance between the British and the French.

The historians named these conflicts as the Carnatic Wars. The holy city of Kanchipuram was also affected due to these conflicts.

The continuous political instability forced Kanchi math, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal V, to shift the base of his math from Kanchi to some other place. He was invited by Pratap Singh, the King of Tanjore. Swamiji shifted His base to Tanjore.

The idol was wrapped with cloth, and the shiny surface was smeared by black punugu (secretion of the civet cat) covered with a cloth and smuggled out in a palanquin as if it was a child with smallpox while shifting from Kanchi to Tanjore and it has been re-installed at Tanjore. Even today, the idol is routinely smeared with punugu and appears black. 

Later the Math was shifted from Tanjore to Kumbakonam. Nevertheless, Bangaru Kamakshi remained in Tanjore. Thus, the Utsava idol of Kanchipuram temple became a permanent idol at Tanjore temple.

At the temple entrance, there is a big stone idol of Ganesha called 'Varada Maha Ganapati.'

Goddess Kamakshi Amman is found in the standing posture and holds a parrot in Her right arm. Her face alone looks black in color.