Tirtha Atlas

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

3031 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Hindu · India

Brahmapureeswarar Temple

Thirukkuvalai (Tirukkolili), Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu · 10.6314°, 79.7203°

Shiva as Brahmapureeswarar (lingam), with Parvati as Vandamar PoonguzhaliCholaDravidaPaadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
800 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
9th c. (Chola) core, expanded to the 16th c. (Thanjavur Nayak)
Chola

History & significance

A Shiva temple at Thirukkuvalai in Nagapattinam district, about 15 km from Thiruvarur, revered in the 7th-century Tevaram hymns of Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar and counted among the Paadal Petra Sthalams. Its oldest masonry is 9th-century Chola work extended through the 16th century under the Thanjavur Nayaks; nineteen inscriptions record Chola, Pandya and Nayak endowments, and the temple is administered by the Dharmapuram Adheenam.

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.

Legend holds that Brahma shaped the lingam here out of white sand, and that the nine planetary deities and Bhima came to the shrine to be absolved of their sins.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-28 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chola