Tirtha Atlas

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

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Early medieval · Hindu · India

Thirukkaragam (Karunakara Perumal shrine)

Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu · 12.8392°, 79.7050°

Karunakara PerumalPallavaDravidianDivya Desam
Sacred since
750 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
within the Pallava-era Ulagalantha Perumal complex
Pallava

History & significance

A Divya Desam in its own right, maintained as the Karunakara Perumal shrine on the third precinct of Kanchipuram's Ulagalantha Perumal temple complex, one of four Divya Desams sheltered there. The consort is worshipped as Padmamani Nachiyar.

Sthala katha — the legend

The sage Garga is said to have won divine knowledge through penance here, giving the place its old name Garagaham, later Karakam.

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Related sites

Ranganathaswamy Temple
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built up 10th–17th c.; Rajagopuram 1987
Shore Temple
Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) · India
c. 700–728 CE
Kailasanathar Temple
Kanchipuram · India
c. 700 CE
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Thiruvananthapuram · India
rebuilt 1730s; shrine far older
Sri Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala
Tirumala, Tirupati · India
attested from early centuries CE; enlarged under Pallava, Chola & Vijayanagara patronage
Badrinath Temple
Badrinath (3,133 m) · India
re-established 8th–9th c.; facade rebuilt by Garhwal kings

Sources

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