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Thirucherai, Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu · 10.9322°, 79.5328°
One of the 108 Divya Desams, praised in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham and carrying inscriptions of the Chola king Parakesari Varman (906–946 CE), with later building by the Vijayanagara rulers and the Madurai Nayaks. Its granite-walled enclosure runs 380 feet on each side behind a five-tier, 120-foot gopuram, and it is the only Divya Desam where Vishnu has five consorts and the river Kaveri has a shrine of her own.
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.
Vishnu is said to have appeared as a child to the river goddess Kaveri while she did penance to be reckoned the equal of the Ganges, showing her all ten of his avatars and granting her precedence during the month of Tula.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chola
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…