Tirtha Atlas

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

1126 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Late medieval · Hindu · India

Palaivananathar Temple

திருப்பாலைத்துறை பாலைவனநாதர் கோயில்

Tiruppalaithurai (Papanasam), Tamil Nadu · 10.9333°, 79.2833°

Shiva (Palaivananathar / Papanasanathar), consort ThavalavennayagalVijayanagarPaadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
1500 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
16th c. (Vijayanagar); Chola origins
Vijayanagar

History & significance

One of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams praised in the 7th-century Tevaram, at Papanasam in the Kaveri delta. The Chola-founded complex was rebuilt in masonry under 16th-century Vijayanagar rule, with a granary added by Raghunatha Nayak, and carries inscriptions of Kulothunga Chola I and III.

Sthala katha — the legend

Shiva is said to have absolved the sins of Vishnu, Brahma, Rama and Sita here, earning the name Papanasanathar, the destroyer of sins.

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Related sites

Brihadisvara Temple
Thanjavur · India
1003–1010 CE
Airavatesvara Temple
Darasuram, Kumbakonam · India
mid-12th c. CE
Meenakshi Amman Temple
Madurai · India
current structure largely 16th–17th c.
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram · India
core 10th c.; expanded to 13th c.
Ekambareswarar Temple
Kanchipuram · India
Chola core; Vijayanagara gopuram 1509
Ramanathaswamy Temple
Rameswaram · India
12th–18th c. (great corridor 18th c., Sethupathis)

Sources

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