Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

1122 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Hindu · India

Adi Kumbeswarar Temple

Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu · 10.9583°, 79.3711°

Shiva (Adi Kumbeswarar), consort MangalambigaiChola—Paadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
800 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
9th c. (Chola); 16th c. Nayak expansion
Chola

History & significance

The principal Shiva temple of Kumbakonam, founded by the 9th-century Cholas and enlarged by the Thanjavur Nayaks, spread over three concentric compounds with four gopurams. A Paadal Petra Sthalam and one of the twelve temples tied to the Mahamaham festival held every twelve years.

Sthala katha — the legend

The town's name is traced to Brahma's pot of creation-seeds, which Shiva's arrow displaced so that nectar fell at this spot.

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Related sites

Brihadisvara Temple
Thanjavur · India
1003–1010 CE
Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Gangaikonda Cholapuram · India
c. 1035 CE
Airavatesvara Temple
Darasuram, Kumbakonam · India
mid-12th c. CE
Meenakshi Amman Temple
Madurai · India
current structure largely 16th–17th c.
Ranganathaswamy Temple
Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli · India
built up 10th–17th c.; Rajagopuram 1987
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram · India
core 10th c.; expanded to 13th c.

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chola