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Vallam, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu · 10.7331°, 79.0528°
A goddess temple at Vallam, about 12 km from Thanjavur, whose earliest inscription belongs to the fortieth regnal year of the Chola king Parantaka I. Its image of Ambika is two-faced, one countenance fierce and the other serene, and the maha mandapa was added by Sevappa Nayak and Achuthappa Nayak in 1535.
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.
The goddess Gowri is said to have ended the tyranny of the asura Thanjasuran by beheading him in his ox form.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chola
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…