Tirtha Atlas

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

1122 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Late medieval · Hindu · India

Sakshinatheswarar Temple, Thiruppurambiyam

Thiruppurambiyam, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu · 11.0078°, 79.3319°

Sakshinathar (Shiva), with IkshuvaniNayakPaadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
1500 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
16th c. (Nayak); 9th-c. Chola origins
Nayak

History & significance

A Paadal Petra Sthalam at the site of the 9th-century Battle of Thirupurambiyam, whose outcome opened the way for the Chola resurgence under Aditya I, builder of an early shrine here. The present masonry structure is 16th-century Nayak work, and the site ranks among the noted centres of Dakshinamurthy worship.

Sthala katha — the legend

Shiva is said to have descended as a witness for a Chettiar lady in a dispute, earning the name Sakshinathar, 'the lord who bore witness'.

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Related sites

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1003–1010 CE
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mid-12th c. CE
Meenakshi Amman Temple
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current structure largely 16th–17th c.
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram · India
core 10th c.; expanded to 13th c.
Ekambareswarar Temple
Kanchipuram · India
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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: Nayak