Tirtha Atlas

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

1126 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
High medieval · Hindu · India

Sivalokanathar Temple, Tirupunkur

திருப்புன்கூர் சிவலோகநாதர் கோயில்

Thiruppunkur, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu · 11.1883°, 79.6761°

Sivalokanathar (Shiva)Undetermined—Paadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
1000 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
dating unrecorded
Undetermined

History & significance

A Paadal Petra Sthalam a few miles west of Vaitheeswaran Koil, remembered above all for the Dalit saint Nandanar, one of the 63 Nayanmars. The shrine stands in Tamil tradition as an emblem of devotion crossing caste barriers.

Sthala katha — the legend

At Shiva's command the Nandi before the sanctum moved aside so that Nandanar, barred at the gate, could behold the lord.

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

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: Undetermined