The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.
Thirumullaivoyal, Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu · 13.1167°, 80.1167°
A 9th-century Chola foundation near Chennai, extended by later Cholas, Pandyas and the Vijayanagara rulers, with an unusual Gaja Prishtam (elephant-back) vimana. It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam revered in the 7th-century Tevaram and belongs to the Shakti triad of Tondaimandalam.
The temple's tradition tells of King Thondaiman striking a lingam hidden in dense mullai thickets during a campaign; Shiva and Parvati appeared, helped him defeat two brothers, and he raised the temple on the spot.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chola