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

Thanthondreeswarar Temple

Aakkur, Tamil Nadu · 11.1025°, 79.7855°

Shiva (Thanthondriappar, the self-manifested), consort VaalnedunkanniUndetermined—Paadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
1000 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
dating unrecorded
Undetermined

History & significance

The self-manifested Shiva shrine of Aakkur, one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams glorified by the Nayanars in the early medieval Tevaram.

Sthala katha — the legend

An ailing Chola king fed a thousand guests for 48 days; Shiva is said to have come as the thousandth and cured him, after which the temple rose here.

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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: Undetermined