The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.
Kallankurichi, Ariyalur, Tamil Nadu · 11.1504°, 79.1199°
A Vishnu temple at Kallankurichi near Ariyalur, roughly five centuries old, unusual in that the presiding deity is not an image but a twelve-foot granite pillar known as Kambamperumal. Its Vijayanagara-period ardha mandapam carries sculpted pillars illustrating Vaishnava narratives.
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.
A cowherd named Maangan is said to have found a pregnant cow beside a sacred pillar here and, directed by Vishnu, to have raised a temple around it.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Vijayanagara
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…