Tirtha Atlas

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

1122 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
High medieval · Hindu · India

Madhuvaneswarar Temple

Nannilam, Tamil Nadu · 10.9065°, 79.6161°

Shiva as MadhuvaneswararEarly Chola—Paadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
1000 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
dating unrecorded
Early Chola

History & significance

A Paadal Petra Sthalam in Nannilam town praised by the saint Sambandar in the Tevaram; its construction is traditionally attributed to the Early Chola king Kocengannan.

Sthala katha — the legend

The temple town's name is traced to a forest of madhu trees believed to have once covered the region.

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Ekambareswarar Temple
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Ramanathaswamy Temple
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12th–18th c. (great corridor 18th c., Sethupathis)

Sources

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