கள்ளழகர் திருக்கோயில் அழகர்கோயில் This much venerated Divya Desam temple (not to be confused with the Koodalazhagar Temple in Madurai) is one of the holiest Vaishnavite shrines in the south. Situated 21 kms north of Madurai, about a 30 minute drive, it lies nestled at the edge of the verdant Alagar Malai hills. The presiding deity is Lord Vishnu. It has been in existence since the Sangam Period and every dynasty since then has contributed to it. Many Sangam era literary works and the Silapathikaram mention it. The existing structure is mainly late Pandian, Vijayanagar and Nayakkan. Jatavarman Sundarapandian (1251-1270) was one of the principal contributors to the temple in the medieval period. During the ransacking of Srirangam in Tiruchirapalli, by invading Muslim forces in the early 14th century, starting with the raid by Malik Kafur, the idol of Ranganathar was hidden here and this temple was kept very quiet and secret. The great Vijayanagar emperor Krishnadevaraya was fond of this temple and contributed much to its construction. During the reign of Thirumalai Nayakkar it was developed further. The temple was attacked in 1757 by the forces of Hyder Ali, then Sultan of Mysore who looted and ransacked it. The outermost fortifications were destroyed. The temple is home to some of the most exquisite Nayakkan era granite sculptures. A granite wall surrounds the entire complex. It has a 7 tier rajagopuram. There are many myths and legends around this temple. We visited in August 2019. We were based in Madurai Credits: Googleஓ Maps

பழமுதிர்சோலை முருகன் கோயில் Palamudhircholai Palamudhircholai This popular Murugan temple is inside the Alagar Malai hills. It is about 4 km from and very close to the Kallazhagar Vishnu temple. It is one of the 6 Abodes or Aru Padai Veedugal of Murugan. It is the 6th Abode. Tamil legend says that Murugan tricked Auvvayar - the wise old poetess of Tamil folklore - at this site. One day Auvvayar was walking through the forest, on a hot sunny day and sat down under the shade of a Naaval berry or Rose apple tree to to rest. The tree had a lot of ripe fruit and she was hungry. There was a little boy on the tree and he asked her whether she wanted some fruit and she said yes. He wanted to know whether she wanted roasted and hot fruit or cold and raw fruit. She was annoyed and ignored him. The little boy (who was Murugan) shook the branches of the tree and some of the fruit fell on the ground. The old woman promptly picked up a few fruit and blew on them to get rid of the sand that had got stuck on the fruit and the boy told her that she had wanted the hot fruit after all. There is a tree here that people claim is a descendent of the original tree. The temple structure itself is quite small and not very impressive. It has been recently rebuilt with many structures built in the 20th century. Murugan temples in general, in spite of the antiquity of the sites, are small affairs perhaps because the deeply Vaishnavite and Saivite kings and queens who built the great temples likely did not pay much attention to Murugan the most popular deity of the common people. But some temples like the Palani Murugan had royal patronage. There is also a dispute whether this is the original site of Pazhamuthircholai. We visited in August 2019. We were based in Madurai. Credits: Google Maps

தஞ்சை பெரிய கோயில் தஞ்சாவூர் One of the best known temples in Tamil Nadu, this much visited temple is an architectural marvel. The tall and massive vimanam is quite impressive and is a milestone in Chola temple construction. The Cholas who had been building and renovating temples for more than a century by the end of the 10th, had acquired quite sophisticated building skills. The great Chola emperor Rajarajan I, commissioned this temple and it was built between 1003 and 1010. Many temples served as inspirations for Rajarajan to build this temple with the Pallava masterpiece, the Kailasanathar at Kanchipuram often quoted as the main one. It was not built at a revered ancient site but a new site was found and a grand temple was built. As such it does not have the same religious significance of the much older temples in the Chola country. Its importance stems from its massive and beautiful construction that reflects the immense power, and aesthetic sense of the Cholas under Rajarajan when the empire was close to its zenith. The entire complex is built of granite. The huge vimanam dominates the structure. It is 216 feet in height and is built over a garbagriham that houses Shiva in the form of a massive lingam that is 29 feet or two stories in height. The shikaram or kumbam, the bulbous structure that sits on top of the vimanam is made of a single block of granite and is estimated to weigh 25 tons. How they managed to get it up there and position it so precisely, remains a mystery. Several theories exist. They most likely used an earthen ramp and elephants. It is a remarkable feat for the times. The entire complex is surrounded by a moat and is fortified. Although the majority of the construction that we see today dates back to the original effort, some of the mandapams, subsidiary shrines in the prakarams, and the fortifications are from later eras such as the Pandian, Vijayanagar, Nayakkar and Maratha dynastic periods. The massive Nandhi that is in front is from the Nayakkan era. The Nandi that Rajarajan installed sits in one the outer hallways today. It is smaller. It was originally named Rajarajeswaram when it was built. People called it the Peruvudayar Temple. It is now called the Brihadishvarar temple. The latter name seems to have come into practice during later times. Today most people refer to it as the Thanjavur Big Temple. The temple has had its share of plunder and destruction. The shikaram was once covered in gold. That and much of the treasure that the temple contained have long been lost. During colonial times no worship occurred here for almost a century. British troops desecrated the temple and used it as a fortified armoury. Compared to later temples the gopurams are much smaller than the giant vimanam. This is because, in the original temples the vimanams were taller than the gopurams. It was in later eras such as the Vijayanagar and the Nayakkan that tall gopurams became prominent features in South Indian temples. The Brihadishvarar temple has two gopurams at its main eastern entrance. The first is the Keralanthakan entranceway built to commemorate Rajarajan's conquest of Kerala and the second one is known as the Rajarajan entranceway. Usually, in Sivan temples the Kodimaram or Dwajasthambam comes before the Nandi and nothing stands between the Nandi and the Lord. Here unusually the Nandi comes before the Kodimaram. There are some other peculiar features. The temple is today under the control of the ASI, the Archeological Survey of India, although the Maratha Royal Family of Thanjavur, the Bhosle family, still has nominal control. The regular functioning of the temple is also managed the HR and CE Department of ther Government of Tamil Nadu. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Together with two other Chola era temples, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram, it belongs to the group known as the Great Living Chola Temples. The term is misleading as it implies that these are active temples. They are at best nominally active. They are living in the sense in that they have not been completely destroyed. But true living temples are ones where the eight daily poojas are conducted with ritual precision. They are becoming fewer and fewer. The Brihadishvarar is a treasure. It is of immense cultural, spiritual and historical value. The temple is located in the ancient capital of the Cholas, the town of Thanjavur, about 60 km or an hour drive east of Tiruchirapalli. We visited in July 2012. We stayed in Thanjavur. Credits: Google Maps

கங்கைகொண்ட சோழபுரம் Also called the Brihadishvarar, this Sivan temple was built a few decades later by Rajendran I, Rajarajan's son and successor, who ruled from 1012 to 1044. Another great Chola temple, it was built to commemorate the grand expedition by Rajendran's 900,000 strong Chola army to conquer the kingdoms along the eastern coast. The Chola forces thrust all the way to the Ganga, defeating every entity that stood between. The victorious generals symbolically brought back the waters of the Ganga in pots and poured them in the tank built for the purpose in Rajendran's brand new capital Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The new capital was built with the temple at its centre. It was set to rival the big temple built by his father Rajarajan at Thanjavur. The Ganga expedition appears to have occurred in 1022. The temple construction likely began in 1025 and was completed by 1030. The temple is similar to the Big Temple at Thanjavur but is also different in many ways. Here also the 182 feet vimanam dominates the complex. It is substantially shorter in height. However it is the more aesthetically attractive of the two. With more intricate carvings and a finer design, it has a certain alluring feminity in comparison to the masculine edifice that Rajarajan built. The vimanam has an upward pointing concavity while the Thanjavur temple has straighter more angular lines. The lingam is one of the largest in Tamil Nadu. The huge Nandhi made of limestone is from a later era, likely Nayakkan. In the mid 13th century when Chola power was waning, the Pandians and the Hoysalas, who were allies against the Chola at that time, captured this area and razed the city to the ground. The city was mainly built of brick . Until recently, for a five mile radius around the temple, when rural folk needed bricks for building houses, they dug them up from just below the surface. The temple was spared then. It was plundered by the forces of Malik Kafur and other Islamic forces that followed in the 14th century. Some restorative work was done under Vijayanagar and Nayakkan rule. The temple again suffered major damage under the British. In 1836 brutish British administrators, in spite of fervent pleas from the local population, pulled down the outer walls and used the large granite stones to construct a dam and bridge across the Kollidam or Coleroon nearby. Many valuable sculptures and inscriptions were lost forever. The complex was used as a military depot by the British and no worship occurred for decades. Today, the temple is preserved by the ASI or Archaeological Survey of India and is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and along with Thanjavur and Darasuram belongs to the group known as the Great Living Chola Temples. It is an inactive or partially active temple with some nominal religious activity. The regular functioning of the temple is also managed the HR and CE Department of ther Government of Tamil Nadu. It is a beautiful temple. It is located about an hour drive or 34 km north of Kumbakonam. We visited in July 2012. We were based in Thanjavur Credits: Google Maps

ஐராவதீசுவரர் திருக்கோயில், தாராசுரம் One of the three Chola era Sivan temples known as the Great Living Chola Temples with a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation, this temple was built more than a century after the grand temple at Gangaikondacholapuram. It was built by Raja Rajan II (CE 1143-1173). It took 20 years to build. This was a period of great turmoil in the Chola empire. The peripheral territories were getting restless. The unraveling of the empire had begun. The empire was constantly at war. Yet they managed to build a grand temple in the intervening periods of relative peace. It is named Airavatesvarar in honour of Indra's while elephant, the Airavatham (ஐராவதம்). It is an inactive or partially active temple with nominal worship. It is under the care of the ASI - the Archeological Survey of India. Like the other two temples in the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation as the Great Living Chola Temples, the regular functioning of the temple is managed the HR and CE Department of ther Government of Tamil Nadu. Here also the the central feature is the vimanam. At 92 feet it is much shorter than the other two and it is a smaller temple. However the architecture and sculptures here are thought to be some of the finest from the Chola era. Some of the sculptures have been transferred to museums. But what remains here is quite stunning. There is a small staircase that has seven steps that each make different musical notes when stepped upon. Today it is fenced off to protect it from damage. The front mandapam known as the Rajagambiran Mandapam is unique in that it is designed like a chariot with wheels, Rajagambiran was on of the titles of Raja Rajan II. The mandapam has many ornate pillars. The entire complex is made of granite. It is located near Kumbakonam, 36 km or an hour drive east of Thanjavur. We visited in July 2012. We were based in Thanjavur. Credits: Google Maps

ஆதிகும்பேசுவரர் திருக்கோயில் கும்பகோணம் Kumbakonam is in many ways the centre of the Tamil Saivite heartland. The ancient Chola capital of Pazhayarai is nearby. The Cholas were deeply Saivite kings and appear to have never converted even during the heyday of Buddhism and Jainism in the Tamil country. This area was one of the last bastions from which Tamil Saivism was revived in the seventh century by the Nayanmar and the Bhakti Movement. The rise of Chola power after Vijayalayan's daring attack on the Mutharaiyar of Thanjavur in the mid ninth century gave further fillip to the revitalization of Saivite Hinduism. So this area has numerous ancient Sivan temples. Kumbakonam has other ancient names such as Kudanthai and Kudamukku. The Adhi Kumbeswarar is close to the centre of the town of Kumbakonam and is one of the largest and oldest temples there. It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam and has been venerated in Thevarams by Thirunavukkarasar and Thirugnasampanthar. It is the 143rd Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 26th south of the Kaveri in the Chola Nadu. So it must have existed in some form in the early 7th century. The current masonry has a 9th century Chola core and has been extensively renovated by Vijayanagar kings and Thanjavur Nayakkar from the 15th to 17th centuries with addition of tall gopurams and mandapams, This is an east facing temple and the eastern rajagopuram is an imposing 128 feet, 9 tiered affair. One of the rajagopurams is a Mottai gopuram with no tower. The actual tower was never built or has not survived. It still looks beautiful and is a prominent feature..There is a long covered colonnaded corridor with ornate pillars leading from the main rajagopuram to the sanctum. The Sivalingam here is made of sand. The temple has many mandapams. The most notable is the Navaratri Mandapam built during Vijayanagar times. It is known for the sculpture of the 27 stars and 12 rasis carved on a single stone. Two other Paadal Petra Sthalams, the Someswarar (not to be confused with the Someswarar of Pazhayarai) or Kudanthai Kaaronam and the Nageswaranatha Temple (not Thirunageswaram on the outskirts of Kumbakonam) and the fabulous Sarangapani Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu are within walking distance of this temple. The temple is still a very active temple and is always full of worshippers. It is controlled and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Tamil Nadu Government, the HR and CE. It is located at the centre of the town of Kumbakonam, an hour drive or 38 km northeast of Thanjavur. We visited in July 2012. We stayed in Kumbakonam. Credits: Google Maps

ஜம்புகேசுவரர் திருக்கோயில் திருவானைக்காவல் This vast 18 acre temple complex situated on the island of Srirangam between the Kaveri and the Kollidam in Tiruchirapalli, is one of the most important Sivasthalams in Tamil Nadu. It is close to the Ranganathar Temple at Srirangam. It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam and has been praised in Thevaram by all three of the Moovar, Thirugnasampanthar, Thirunavukkarasar and Sundarar. It is one of the five Panchabootha Sthalams and venerates water. The others are Chidambaram Natarajar (sky or space), Kanchipuram Ekamabareswarar (earth), Thiruvannamalai (fire) and Srikalahasti (ether or air). This place used to be a bamboo forest in ancient times and there is a legend about an elephant who worshipped Lord Shiva here. Hence the name. Aanai is Tamil for elephant and Kaa is old Tamil for forest. The temple site was called Thiruvanaikkaa in ancient texts. It later evolved into Thiruvanaikkaal, Thiruvanaikaval and Thiuvanaikoil over time. Given the antiquity of the temple, there are many legends about it. The sanctum sanctorum contains a Sivalingam that is always partially submerged in water due to a natural spring present there. It has 5 prakarams or circumambulatory hallways. The prakarams are very wide and spacious. The architecture and sculptural work here are exceptional and rival the design of the Ranganathar nearby. Legend says that the original construction was by the second century Sangam era Chola king Kochengannan - The Red-Eyed-King. He is credited with building many temples in this area. Later Chola and Pandian kings contributed to it over time. The Hoysala king Someswara renovated it and built many of the sub-shrines in the complex in the mid 13th century. Later dynasties like the Vijayanagara emperors and the Thanjavur and Madurai Nayakkar contributed to its expansion and maintenance. The temple sustained damage from English and French armies during the Carnatic wars in the 18th century. The trading community of Nattukkottai Chettiar renovated and maintained the temple during the 19th and 20th centuries. Today the temple is controlled and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu, the HR and CE. We visited in July 2012. We stayed in Trichy. Credits: Google Maps

சிதம்பரம் நடராஜர் திருக்கோயில் Perhaps the most important Sivasthalam in the Tamil country, the Sivan temple at Chidambaram is a much revered temple for Saivite Tamils. Here the Lord is worshipped in three distinct ways, as the Lord of the Cosmic Dance, Nataraja, as a crystallized lingam and as formless space in the sanctum sanctorum. Steeped in Saivite Hindu symbolism, it embodies deep concepts like the cycle of creation and destruction of the universe and the formlessness of the almighty. It is we humans who give the Lord familiar forms after all. The well known icon of Shiva as Nataraja appears to have originated here. It is one of the five Pancha Bootha Sthalams and the Lord here represents the sky or space. It is also one of the Pancha Sabhas and here the Lord performed the Dance of Joy or Ecstasy, the Ananda Thandavam. The importance of this temple is so great that ancient texts refer to it simply as "the temple" or Koil. The Sangam era literature refer to a temple here but do not always refer to it as Chidambaram but by various other names. The temple is immortalized in Thevaram by all three of the Moovar, Thirugnasampanthar, Thirunavukkarasar and Sundaramoorthy Nayanar. Manikkavasagar spent a lot of time here composing the Thiruvasagam. In the 11th century, the Thevaram compositions in Olai Chuvadi ( palm leaf manuscripts) were discovered here in a back room and salvaged by Raj Raja Cholan I and Nambiandar Nambi, after being lost for many decades. The name Thiruchitrambalam is invoked at the beginning and end of the recitation of the Thevarams. Although this temple has likely existed for more than two millennia, its origins and ancient structure are unclear, Purported to have originated in a forest called the Thillai, it has been built, destroyed, plundered, rebuilt and renovated many times. As a Paadal Petra Sthalam, it was present in some form in the 7th century. Pallava, Chola, Pandian, Vijayanagar and Nayakkan kings and many other dynasties have contributed to the development of this temple.The Lord here was the tutelary or family deity of the mighty Chola kings. Many of their coronations happened here. As such, the temple received immense patronage during Chola times. It was expanded and rebuilt as a stone temple by kings like Adityan I and Paranthakan I. Paranthakan is often referred to as the "Ponveintha Perumal" the king who bestowed the golden roof to the temple. The sanctum here is referred to as Ponnambalam (The Golden Hall). There is some evidence that it was called the Ponnambalam before Paranthakan's time. Perhaps he restored a previously dilapidated structure. The great soldier Naralokaviran, commander of Chola forces during the reign of Kulothungan I, is credited with building or rebuilding a lot of the structures here. The Pandian empire that followed, although relatively short-lived, also contributed much to this temple. It was ransacked and almost completely destroyed by the forces of the Delhi Sultanate led by Malik Kafur and in subsequent raids. It was restored by the Vijayanagar kings and the Nayakkar only to be damaged again during the Carnatic wars in the 18th century by British and French forces and during the Anglo-Mysore Wars. Forces belonging to the British East India Company occupied the temple and used it as a camp in the 18th century. The Nattukkottai Chettiar played an important part in restoring and renovating the temple in the 19th century. Today the temple is controlled by the Deekshidar community of hereditary Brahmin priests who have been associated with the temple for hundreds of years. The temple is a vast 40 acre complex with an ancient core and multiple prakarams enclosed by high walls and gopurams. The outer gopurams in all four cardinal directions are tall and imposing. They are visible from a long distance. They appear to have been first built in the 12th and 13th centuries by later Chola and Pandian kings. They have been rebuilt since. The current north gopuram was built by the Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya around 1520. The sanctum sanctorum consists of the Chitsabha which houses the shrines of Nataraja, Siva as the Crystal Lingam, the empty space known as the Chidambara Rahasiyam, the Rathinasabapathy or the Nataraja made of ruby and the Govindarajan shrine of Vishnu. This temple is also revered as a Divya Desam temple and is known as Thiruchitrakootam in the Vaisnavite tradition. The Chitsabhai has a roof of golden tiles. The Kanagasabhai where the Lord performs his dance, has a copper roof. The temple walls are adorned with sculptures of the 108 poses from Bharatha Muni's Natyashashtra that form the basis of Bharathanatyam. Today the temple is at the centre of political controversy regarding its control. It is caught in a tussle between the Deekshidar, the traditional priests who by default have gained control of it and the HR and CE of the Government of Tamil Nadu. As a privately run institution it is dependent on donations for its administration. People visiting the temple are often harassed by the priests for donations and subscriptions which can sometimes negatively impact an otherwise sacred experience. Critics point out that there is no independent accountability or transparency in the way the temple is run. The temple can certainly be maintained better. On the other hand the HR and CE may not be the ideal custodian either, given its sorry record at temples it controls. The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the Deekshidar for now. Some kind of public oversight and government supervision may be beneficial in maintaining such a historic and culturally important site. The temple is located in the town of Chidambaram which lies about 65 km or 2 hours south of Pondicherry or 72 km or 2 hours northeast of Kumbakonam. We visited in July 2010. We were based in Pondicherry. Credits: Google Maps

கைலாசநாதர் திருக்கோயில், காஞ்சிபுரம் Kanchipuram is a city of temples. They are quite numerous here. This ancient city is one of the oldest cities in India and is well-known as a spiritual and religious centre for centuries. It once served as the capital of the Pallava kings who ruled from this region from the 6th century to the 9th century. Later it was a regional capital of the Cholas when they ruled over the Thondai Mandalam, as this region was called, from the 10th century to the 13th century. So, a lot of history here. The Kailasanathar is perhaps the oldest temple in Kanchipuram and one of the earliest structural temples to be built in the Tamil country. It is a Sivan temple. It was built by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman II or Rajasimhan around 700 CE. It is built of sandstone which is not as durable as granite and is subject to erosion from wind and rain. The vimanam is quite beautiful and is often claimed that this served as an inspiration for Rajarajan to build the massive vimanam in Thanjavur. There are beautiful sculptures throughout the complex. The lion motifs of the Pallavas are found in abundance. It is an inactive or partially active temple these days. It is under the control of the Archeological Survey of India, the ASI and is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is located in Kanchipuram about 2 hours or 76 km southwest of Chennai. Unfortunately I cannot find the photos of the vimanam and outer structures, I took during our visit, My photos do not do justice to the beauty of this temple. We have stuck to our own photos to abide by our strict rule to use only photos that we have taken ourselves. The reader is encouraged to do a brief search on the web to find more photos. We visited in July 2010. We were based in Chennai. Credits: Google Maps

கரைக்கோயில் மகாபலிபுரம் அல்லது மாமல்லபுரம் Located right on the seashore at Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram, this small inactive temple is a much visited tourist site very close to Chennai. It is located along the coast about 60 km or 1-2 hours south of Chennai depending on traffic. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site at Mahabalipuram. It is looked after by the Archeological Survey of India , the ASI. Built by the Pallava king Rajasimhan or Narasimhavarman II, it was constructed between 700 and 728 CE. There are some elements that may date back to the time of Mamallan or Narasimhavarman I who ruled from 638 to 660 CE. However the main credit for this structure goes to Rajasimhan. This is one of the earliest structural temples that have survived. Mamallapuram was the seaport of the Pallavas. It was a bustling city by the sea and an important metropolis. The temple is a complex of three structures, one large and two smaller. The larger is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the smaller two are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. All the usual trademark Pallava sculptures are found here, including lion motifs, yalis, Somaskanda panel and a Mahishasuramardini panel. The entire structure is built of granite and has withstood the test of time and the elements for 1300 years. It has seen many Tsunamis including the one in December 2004. It is believed that there were seven such structures along the coast here and were known as the Seven Pagodas to ancient mariners. They were visible far out to sea, Only one seems to have survived. The 2004 Tsunami has unearthed some structures which could be the ruins of some of the other temples that were lost to the sea. We visited in July 2010. We were based in Chennai. Credits: Google Maps

அதிரணசண்ட பல்லவேஸ்வர குடைவரைக்கோயில், சாளுவன்குப்பம் As you travel south by road from Chennai along the coast, just before you reach Mahabalipuram, you come across a village called Saluvankuppam. On your left, between the East Coast Road and the ocean, lies a popular picnic spot called the Tiger Cave. This site is cared for by the ASI as part of the collection of monuments at or near Mahabalipuram that constitute the UNESCO World Heritage Site there. There is no entry fee except for a small payment for the parking. On weekends, it is thronged by picnic goers. We went on a week day and the place was deserted. This site is home to some interesting monuments and rock inscriptions. The most popular one is the so-called Tiger Cave built by Rajasimhan or Narasimhavarman II in the early 8th century and likely served as an outdoor platform for the king to give audience to his subjects. For some of us, the more interesting monument here is the small and elegant Pallava era cave temple called the Athiranachanda Cave Temple dedicated to Lord Siva. It is believed to have been built by Rajasimhan. Athiranachanda was one of his favourite titles. Although it was built in an era when the Pallavas were already starting to build grand structural temples, it is reminiscent of earlier cave temples built at Mamallapuram itself such as the Mahishasuramardini and Varaha cave temples. The temple is possibly a remnant of a larger structure that has fallen into decay. The cave itself houses a 16 faceted dharalingam. The Pallavas were fond of these types of lingams. There are other classic Pallava elements like a Somaskanda panel in the cave and a small Mahishasuramardini panel on a rock. There is a lingam in the middle of the small stone courtyard in front of the cave that looks a bit incongruous. It likely was housed in a structure that has fallen apart. It is located at Saluvankuppam just north of Mahabalipuram. We visited in August 2017. We were based in Chennai. Credits: Google Maps

ஏகாம்பரநாதர் அல்லது ஏகாம்பரேசுவரர் திருக்கோயில் காஞ்சிபுரம் One of the most sacred Saivite temples in Tamil Nadu, this ancient Sivasthalam is a very special temple. It is one the five Pancha Bootha Sthalams. Here the Lord is celebrated as the Earth - the Prithvilingam. The lingam in the sanctum is made of sand. It is venerated in Thevaram by all three of the Moovar and Manickavasagar, making it one of the temples celebrated by all four of the Kuravars. It is the first Paadal Petra Sthalam in the Thondai Nadu. It is mentioned in numerous other Tamil Saivite literary works. It has a Vishnu shrine within the premises celebrated in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, making it a Divya Desam temple also. Only two temples including the Thillai Natarajar at Chidambaram have this rare distinction. It is a vast temple and covers an area of 23 acres. Together with the adjacent Kamakshi Amman temple and the Kumarakottam Murugan temple in the middle, it forms a Somaskanda configuration. The 59 m or 192 feet rajagopuram built by the great Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya in 1509 is one of the tallest in South India. It has nine tiers or nilai. It has wide prakarams and numerous beautiful sculptures. An ancient mango tree is the Sthala Virutcham here. The temple predates the Pallavas and was certainly in existence in the 7th century as it was venerated by the Nayanmar in the Thevaram. It was rebuilt by the Pallavas and rebuilt again by the Cholas. Vijayanagar and Nayakkan kings also contributed much to its maintenance and expansion. During colonial time the great philanthropist, Pachaiyappa Mudaliar in the 18th century and the Nattukkottai Chettiar in the 19th and early 20th centuries were very generous in their support of this temple. Today it is under control of the HR and CE Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. It is located in Kanchipuram, about 80 km or 2 hours southwest of Chennai. We visited in July 2010. We were based in Chennai. Credits: Google Maps