Tirtha Atlas

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

1805 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Hindu · India

Amirthakadeswarar Temple, Sakkottai

Sakkottai, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu · 10.9353°, 79.3998°

Amirthakadeswarar (Shiva), with AmirthavalliCholaDravidian
Sacred since
800 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
9th c. (Chola), later Nayak additions
Chola

History & significance

A Shaiva temple near Kumbakonam sung in the 7th-century Tevaram and so counted among the Paadal Petra Sthalams, built by the Cholas in the 9th century and expanded by the Thanjavur Nayaks; it is linked to Sakya Nayanar, one of the sixty-three Saiva saints.

Sthala katha — the legend

In the deluge the essence of creation is said to have come to rest here in a pot of nectar, which gave the place its old name Kalayanallur.

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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