The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu · 12.8382°, 79.7012°
A Shiva temple at Kanchipuram built by the Pallavas and later renovated by the Vijayanagara kings, with a rajagopuram, inner gopura and temple tank. It is counted among the Vaippu Sthalams named by the Nayanar Appar.
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 temple's name comes from the belief that Vishnu worshipped Shiva here in his kurma (tortoise) form.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-28 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Pallava
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