Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry #87: Soundararajaperumal Temple, Thadikombu, Dindigul
- Sudharshan
- Jul 6
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 26
சௌந்தரராஜ பெருமாள் கோயில், தாடிக்கொம்பு, திண்டுக்கல்
Renowned for its fine sculptures in granite from the late Vijayanagar and Nayakkan eras, this temple is located just north of Dindigul. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it is a beautiful temple and very popular. Although there are some clues in inscriptions that suggest that it might have existed in some form under Pandiyan rule before the 10th century, the structure as it stands today was built during Vijayanagar times and embellished in the Nayakkan era.
The village was originally called Thaalapuri due to the abundance of palmyrah trees. It later got the name Thadikombu which means the same in Telugu due to the influx of a large number of Telugu speaking people into the area during the Vijayanagar period.
The temple was rebuilt in its current form by the Vijayanagar emperor Achyuta Deva Raya (1529-1542), brother and successor of the great emperor Krishna Deva Raya and his successor and regent Aliya Rama Raya (1484-1565), son-in-law of Krishna Deva Raya. This was in the mid 16th century. Most of the sculptural art is attributed to the reign of the great Nayakkan monarch, Thirumalai Nayakkar of Madurai (1623-1659). The sculptures were commissioned around 1640 in the mid 17th century. This information is from the inscriptions present at the temple.
The temple has a 5 level, 90 foot high rajagopuram and is surrounded by granite walls on all four sides. It has two inner prakarams. The prakaram outside the walls is paved to facilitate the movement of the chariot or "ther" during festivals, The Lord is in a standing posture in the sanctum sanctorum. His consort Sundaravalli Thayar is housed in a separate shrine. The main structure is built on a 2 m high plinth and is thus classified as a Madakkoil (மாடக்கோயில்). The temple has a number of mandapams.
The Ranga Mandapam contains beautiful sculptures depicting the ten avatharams of Lord Vishnu and are from the Vijayanagar era. The Soundarapandia Mandapam contains 14 life size sculptures in granite that are believed to be some of the best examples of Nayakkan art and craftsmanship. The workmanship is exquisite and reflect a very high level of expertise. There are also seven musical pillars in the Kalyana Mandapam similar to other southern temples of the same era.
The temple is located 14 km to the north of Dindigul in Tamil Nadu. It is about a 20 minute drive by car. It is about 80 km north or an easy 90 minute drive along NH 44 from Madurai. We visited in June 2025. We were based in Madurai.
Source: Temples of Madras State; P.K Nambiar and K.C Narayana Kurup. Census of India 1961 Govt of India Archives
Credits: Google Maps
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