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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

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

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

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

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

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

ஏடகநாதர் திருக்கோயில் திருவேடகம் This is an ancient Sivasthalam near Madurai. Situated 20 km or a 30 minute drive northwest of Madurai, it is the 248th Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 4th in the Pandian country. Originally built by Pandian kings, the current masonry structure is mostly 16th century Nayakkan. It is a relatively small temple and is in a state of mild disrepair and needs better maintenance. There is an interesting story about this temple. During the early 7th century, Madurai was ruled by King Arikesari Maravarman or Koon Pandian as he had a hunchback. He was an ardent follower of the Jain faith. The queen, the Chola princess Mangayarkarasiyaar was a strong Saivite. She enlisted the help of Thirugnanasampanthar to convert the king to Saivism. So a debate was arranged between the Jain monks and Sampanthar at this site. Sampanthar wrote the first verse of his pathikam - "Vaalga Anthanar..." on a palm leaf or Edu and threw it into the River Vaigai and the Jain monks wrote some lines from their scriptures and did the same. The Jain leafs were washed away while Sampanthar's leaf reached the other bank and the king was convinced to change his faith and became the saint Nindraseer Nedumaran. It was a bit dark when we reached this temple and I could not take good pictures. Those who are interested in Saivite history should visit this temple for the historical significance, It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam. It might not be very interesting to others. We visited in August 2019. We were based in Madurai. Credits: Google Maps

மீனாட்சி சுந்தரேசுவரர் திருக்கோயில் மதுரை Perhaps the most celebrated temple in Tamil Nadu and one of the most recognized in the whole of India, is this vast twin temple complex dedicated to the Goddess Parvati and Lord Siva. It is one the largest temple complexes in Tamil Nadu. Commonly referred to as the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, it is well known as a Sakthi Peedam but it is also a very important Sivasthalam. It is visited by millions of people every year and many readers of this blog would have visited this temple at some point in their lives or would have heard about it. The temple is quite ancient and it has existed since Sangam times. The temple is synonymous with the city of Madurai, a city that was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was the capital city of the Pandian kings over several centuries. The city appears to have been built with the temple at its centre. In olden times, it had names like Aalavai (ஆலவாய்) and Koodal (கூடல்). It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam and the first in the Pandian country. Thirugnanasampanthar, Thirunavukkarasar and Manickvasagar have sung hymns in praise of the Lord here. It is one the temples where Lord Nataraja performed his cosmic dance and is one of the Pancha Sabhas. It is the Velli Sabha or the Hall of Silver. Here, the Lord poses with his right leg raised as opposed to the customary left leg that is raised. Although the temple and the site are quite ancient, most of the structures, sculptures and other art works that are seen today only date back to the 17th century. Rebuilt in the 13th century by Kulasekara Pandian, the temple was ransacked by the forces of Alauddin Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate in the early 14th century. Malik Kafur the ruthless general of Alauddin Khilji led an expeditionary force to Madurai in 1310 and laid waste to everything that lay in his path to Madurai. Many temples were plundered and ransacked. The Meenakshi Amman temple was almost completely destroyed. Several other invasions occurred over the next decade and finally a Sultanate was established at Madurai that was known as the Sultanate of M'bar. For the next half a century the great temple of Madurai lay in ruins. Its great towers served as gallows for some time. In 1375 The Vijayanagar prince Kumara Kampanna, son of Bukka I, and able general led a force to Madurai and freed the city and the temple. What remained of the temple was cleaned up and it started to function again. In the late 1500s the first Nayakkan king, Visvanatha Nayakkar and his able Tamil general and minister Ariyanatha Mudaliar laid the foundation for the new temple that we see today. The majority of the work was completed by Thirumalai Nayakkar between 1623 and 1655. Today the beautiful temple complex boasts 14 tall gopurams that dominate the skyline of the city of Madurai. They range in height from 45 to 52 meters. There are an estimated 33,000 exquisite sculptures from the Nayakkan period with many granite works as well as hundreds of colourful stucco figures that adorn the gopurams. The Thousand Pillared Hall is a treat to the eyes. A visit to the temple these days is marred by the oppressive security measures in place. Security is important but should be carried out in a way that is unobtrusive to the temple goer. The temple, like most other temples in Tamil Nadu, is under the control of the inept HR and CE wing of the Government of Tamil Nadu. We visited in January 2005, July 2012 and August 2019. Credits: Google Maps

திருவாப்பனூர் அல்லது திவாப்புடையார் திருக்கோயில் மதுரை This little known temple is situated in the Sellur neighbourhood of Madurai and is a lovely small Sivan temple. It lies across the river from the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple and is considered its sub-temple. Small but elegant it still retains its Pandian origins. Originally built by Pandian kings it was later renovated by the Nayakkar and the Sethupathy kings of Pudukottai. It does not have a rajagopuram. As it is a Paadal Petra Sthalam it must have existed in some form in the early 7th century. Aappu (ஆப்பு) means wedge in Tamil. The legend is that an ancient king was tired at the end of the day's hunt and was looking for a lingam to do his evening Siva Pooja. A woodcutter lent his wedge as a makeshift lingam and then it would not move and a temple had to be built around it.  It is the 246th Paadal Petra Sthalam and the 2nd one in the Pandian country. Sampanthar composed the Pathikam. We visited in August 2019. Credits: Google Maps

கூடல் அழகர் திருக்கோயில் மதுரை This is an important Vishnu temple in Madurai very close to the Meenakshi Amman temple. Koodal is an ancient name for Madurai and Alagar means Lord Vishnu. It is a Divya Desam temple. It is very ancient and is mentioned in the Sangam Literature of the 1st century BCE to 2nd century CE. The current structure was originally built by Pandian kings between the 9th and 12th centuries (with some Chola influence in the 10th and 11th centuries). It has been extensively renovated during the Vijayanagar and Nayakkan periods between the 14th and 16th centuries and has layers of history embedded in it. There is an inscription from the 8th century. The sanctum has 3 levels and is one of only two temples where you can see Lord Vishnu in all 3 poses - sitting (on the main level), lying (on the second level) and standing (on the 3rd level). There is a small fee to access the upper levels. The style of the vimanam is unique. It is an eight sided Ashtanga Vimanam and was likely built in the 10th century. Absolutely stunning architecture. At 2 acres in area, it is not a huge temple but it is a beautiful temple and culturally very important. The stucco images on the rajagopuram tell the stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, It is enclosed by a tall granite wall. It is a must see temple in Madurai. We visited in August 2019. Credits: Google Maps

சுப்பிரமணியசுவாமி திருக்கோயில் திருப்பரங்குன்றம் This ancient temple is found on the southern outskirts of Madurai set against a granite hill. It is a rock cut cave temple with some unique features. Unlike other temples where there is only one deity in the sanctum sanctorum (the Karuvarai), this temple has five deities - Siva, Vishnu, Murugan, Ganesha and Durga. It is revered as an important Sivasthalam (Paadal Petra Sthalam) as well as one of the most important Murugan temples (it is one of the Aru Padai Veedu). Today it is predominantly considered a Murugan temple. The presiding deity is still Siva. In the early 7th century it was briefly converted to a Jain place of worship when the Jain monks were quite powerful in Madurai and wielded enormous power over the the Pandian King. A large temple has been built over the centuries around the ancient original cave. As it is set against the hillside, it does not have the traditional prakarams (circumambulatory enclosures). As the sanctum is set against the rock face. people who wish to do a circumambulation, do so around the hill as it common in hill temples. It is called a Girivalam. The idols in the sanctum are carved on the bedrock of the Thiruparankundram hill. The hill itself is considered a manifestation of a Sivalingam. It also serves as the vimanam of the temple. The various mandapams are on different levels as you climb up to the sanctum. The temple finds mention in the Sangam work the Thirumurugatruppadai (திருமுருகாற்றுப்படை) from around the beginning of the first millennium, attesting to its antiquity. The work is credited to the legendary Sangam era poet Nakkeerer and celebrates Lord Murugan. Thirugnasampanthar rendered a Thevara pathikam here in the seventh century. Thus it is a Paadal Petra Sivasthalam. The original cave temple is of Pandiyan construction. The majority of the structures today including the magnificent seven tiered rajagopuram and the 48 pillared hall, the Astana Mandapam at the entrance are from the Nayakkan era. Amazing temple. Must see if you visit Madurai. If you have time and energy go up the hill and visit the Kasi Visvanathar temple for some amazing views. We visited in August 2019. Credits: Google Maps

பகவதியம்மன் திருக்கோயில், கன்னியாகுமரி Also known as the Devi Kanyakumari Temple or Kumari Amman Temple, this is an ancient temple on the very southern tip of mainland India. It is dedicated to the Goddess. It lies at the confluence of three water bodies the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the greater Indian Ocean - a Triveni Sangam. Apart from the geographical significance, it also has a long and celebrated history. It is mentioned in the Hindu Vedic literature including the Upanishads. Legend says that it was built by the sage Parashurama himself. The ancient Greek work the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions it at the beginning of the first millennium. There is a legend that ancient mariners were able to see the bright and large nose ring of the idol of the Goddess from far out at sea. It is believed that the east gate of the temple complex is always kept closed so that the idol is not visible from the sea and thus will not confuse sailors. For all its celebrated past, it is not a very large temple. It does not have very impressive architecture either . It has four stone musical columns from which sounds of different musical instruments emanate when pounded upon. The Ay, the Pandians and other dynasties have controlled the temple at different times. During British colonial times the kings of Travancore maintained this temple. Although it lies so exposed to the ocean, there is no recorded history of any great destruction or plunder. It is a place of great spiritual significance. Many come here to find peace and tranquility. Swami Vivekananda, the great modern Hindu sage started the major part of his spiritual journey here at Kanyakumari. We visited in August 2019. We were based in Kanyakumari. Credits: Google Maps