Tirtha Atlas

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

1126 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Hindu · India

Veerateeswarar Temple, Thiruvathigai

திருவதிகை வீரட்டானம்

Thiruvathigai, Panruti, Tamil Nadu · 11.7644°, 79.5575°

Shiva as Veerattaaneswarar, with Parvati as ThiripurasundariPallavaPaadal Petra Sthalam
Sacred since
600 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
by 7th c. (Pallava era); Pandya expansion
Pallava

History & significance

One of the eight Veeratta shrines of Shiva, marking his destruction of the three demon cities; here the Pallava king Mahendravarman I embraced Saivism, and the saint Appar returned to the faith and attained salvation. Its seven-tiered gopuram carries early Bharatanatyam sculpture.

Sthala katha — the legend

Shiva is said to have burnt the three flying cities of the asuras from this spot, with Vishnu himself serving as the arrow.

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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.
Shore Temple
Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) · India
c. 700–728 CE
Kailasanathar Temple
Kanchipuram · India
c. 700 CE

Sources

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