Tirtha Atlas

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

1805 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Hindu · India

Ravishwarar Temple

Vyasarpadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu · 13.1157°, 80.2617°

Shiva (as Ravishwarar), with MarakadhambalChola
Sacred since
850 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
Chola period
Chola

History & significance

A Chola-era Shiva temple in the Vyasarpadi quarter of Chennai, entered through a three-tier rajagopuram. Its sanctum is pierced by a lingam-shaped aperture that admits sunlight, and its tank is called Bhrama or Surya Theertham.

Sthala katha — the legend

The sun god is said to have worshipped here and bathed in the tank to be freed of his Brahma-dosham, while the sage Vyasa's worship at the site is said to have given the neighbourhood its name.

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