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

Pavalavannam Perumal Temple

Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu · 12.8436°, 79.7075°

Pavalavannar PerumalCholaDravidianDivya Desam
Sacred since
1000 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
11th c. (Chola)
Chola

History & significance

A Divya Desam attributed to the Cholas, carrying inscriptions of Rajadhiraja Chola and Kulothunga Chola I, with later Vijayanagara contributions. It forms a pair with the Pachaivannar temple standing axially across the road.

Sthala katha — the legend

Vishnu is said to have assumed the hue called pavalam here in the Treta Yuga, and so came to be worshipped as Pavalavannar.

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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
Ranganathaswamy Temple
Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli · India
built up 10th–17th c.; Rajagopuram 1987
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram · India
core 10th c.; expanded to 13th c.
Arunachaleswarar Temple
Tiruvannamalai · India
9th-c. Chola core; 16th-c. gopurams

Sources

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