Tirtha Atlas

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

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Late medieval · Hindu · India

Atulya Nadheswarar Temple

அறையணி நல்லூர்

Arakandanallur, Tamil Nadu · 11.9746°, 79.2225°

Shiva as Atulya Nadheswarar, with Parvati as Azhagiya PonnazhagiVijayanagara—Paadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
1500 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
16th c. (Vijayanagara); Pallava rock-cut origins
Vijayanagara

History & significance

A hill temple above the Thenpennai at Arakandanallur, grown from three Pallava rock-cut caves through Chola expansion to its 16th-century Vijayanagara form, and sung by Sambandar among the Paadal Petra Sthalams. Ramana Maharshi is believed to have stayed in its caves before being drawn to Tiruvannamalai.

Sthala katha — the traditional account

What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.

Vishnu is said to have prayed to Shiva here to be cleansed after subduing Mahabali in his Vamana avatar.

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Sources

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