Tirtha Atlas

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

1126 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Modern · Hindu · Sri Lanka

Ketheeswaram Temple

Mannar (Thiruketheeswaram), Northern Province · 8.9579°, 79.9630°

ShivaModern rebuild; earlier Pallava, Pandyan and Chola patronage—Paadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
400 BCE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
rebuilt from 1903; shrine attested for over two millennia
Modern rebuild; earlier Pallava, Pandyan and Chola patronage

History & significance

One of the Pancha Ishwarams of Shiva in Sri Lanka and one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams of Tamil Saiva literature, with worship attested for well over two thousand years. Destroyed by the Portuguese in 1575, it was rebuilt by Sri Lankan Tamil devotees from 1903 onward.

Sthala katha — the legend

The god of wind is said to have torn three towers from Mount Maha Meru and set one down at Thiruketheeswaram, where the Lord then established himself.

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Related sites

Brihadisvara Temple
Thanjavur · India
1003–1010 CE
Airavatesvara Temple
Darasuram, Kumbakonam · India
mid-12th c. CE
Meenakshi Amman Temple
Madurai · India
current structure largely 16th–17th c.
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram · India
core 10th c.; expanded to 13th c.
Ekambareswarar Temple
Kanchipuram · India
Chola core; Vijayanagara gopuram 1509
Ramanathaswamy Temple
Rameswaram · India
12th–18th c. (great corridor 18th c., Sethupathis)

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Modern rebuild; earlier Pallava, Pandyan and Chola patronage