Tirtha Atlas

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

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Early medieval · Hindu · India

Chidambaresvarar Temple, Kotlambakkam

Kotlambakkam, near Panruti, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu · 11.7901°, 79.5311°

Shiva (Chidambaresvarar), with the goddess SivakamasundariKadava (Kopperunchinga)
Sacred since
800 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
9th c.; sanctum rebuilt in granite 1267
Kadava (Kopperunchinga)

History & significance

A Shiva temple near Panruti founded in the 9th century, whose sanctum was rebuilt in granite in 1267 by the Kadava chief Kopperunchinga of Senthamangalam. Further inscriptions of the 15th and 16th centuries record later additions, and its niches carry Brahma, Dakshinamurthy, Surya and Bhairava.

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.

Shiva is said to have appeared here as an old man to the saint Sundarar, who was resting at a nearby monastery, and blessed him by placing his foot on the saint's head.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-28 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Kadava (Kopperunchinga)