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

Vaitheeswaran Koil

சீர்காழி வைத்தீசுவரன் கோயில்

Vaitheeswaran Koil (Pullirukkuvelur), Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu · 11.1970°, 79.7125°

Vaidyanathar (Shiva, the divine healer), with ThaiyalnayagiChola—Paadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
1000 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
11th-12th c. (Chola); Nayak and Maratha additions
Chola

History & significance

The temple of Shiva as the 'god of healing', a Paadal Petra Sthalam and one of the nine Navagraha temples, associated with Mars (Angaraka). Inscriptions run from Kulothunga Chola I, with later endowments by Pandya, Nayak and Maratha rulers.

Sthala katha — the legend

The planet-god Angaraka, stricken with leprosy, is said to have been cured here by Vaidyanatha, and so the shrine became his Navagraha seat.

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1003–1010 CE
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c. 1035 CE
Airavatesvara Temple
Darasuram, Kumbakonam · India
mid-12th c. CE
Meenakshi Amman Temple
Madurai · India
current structure largely 16th–17th c.
Ranganathaswamy Temple
Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli · India
built up 10th–17th c.; Rajagopuram 1987
Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
Chidambaram · India
core 10th c.; expanded to 13th c.

Sources

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