Tirtha Atlas

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

3031 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Late medieval · Hindu · India

Vamaneeswarar Temple

Tirumanikuzhi, Tamil Nadu · 11.7374°, 79.6836°

Shiva (Vamaneeswarar), with Parvati as Manonmani AmmanCholaDravidianPaadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
985 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
16th c. masonry; Chola-era shrine
Chola

History & significance

A Shiva temple near Cuddalore counted among the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams glorified in the Tevaram hymns. Its inscriptions run from Rajaraja Chola I through Rajendra Chola III, while the standing masonry temple dates to the 16th century.

Sthala katha — the traditional account

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.

When King Mahabali could not deliver the third pace of land he had promised the dwarf Vamana, he offered his own head instead and was granted immortality for his humility, giving the place its name.

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Sources

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