Tirtha Atlas

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

1126 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Hindu · India

Thiruneermalai Temple Complex (Neervanna Perumal)

திருநீர்மலை நீர்வண்ணப்பெருமாள் திருக்கோயில்

Thiruneermalai, Tamil Nadu · 12.9639°, 80.1150°

Neervanna PerumalCholaDivya Desam
Sacred since
900 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
Chola-Pandya era (inscriptions)
Chola

History & significance

A twin-site Divya Desam spread across a hill and its base near Chennai, carrying Chola- and Pandya-period inscriptions. Vishnu appears here in four postures - standing as Neervannan, reclining as Ranganatha, sitting as Narasimha and walking as Trivikrama.

Sthala katha — the legend

The sage Valmiki is said to have worshipped Ranganatha on the hilltop after composing the Ramayana and to have met Rama himself at its base.

Open in Google Maps ↗Wikipedia ↗View on the atlas map

Related sites

Brihadisvara Temple
Thanjavur · India
1003–1010 CE
Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Gangaikonda Cholapuram · India
c. 1035 CE
Airavatesvara Temple
Darasuram, Kumbakonam · India
mid-12th c. CE
Ranganathaswamy Temple
Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli · India
built up 10th–17th c.; Rajagopuram 1987
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram · India
core 10th c.; expanded to 13th c.
Arunachaleswarar Temple
Tiruvannamalai · India
9th-c. Chola core; 16th-c. gopurams

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chola