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Veppathur, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu · 11.0142°, 79.4313°
One of only two surviving pre-Pallava temple sites in Tamil Nadu, begun as a brick shrine and rebuilt in stone around 850 CE under Nandivarman II. Later renovations by Rajaraja Chola and by Krishnadevaraya in 1520 make it a compact record of successive South Indian building phases.
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.
The name, meaning the seated lord, is explained by the tradition that Rama sat here in grief and was comforted by Bhumi Devi and Nila Devi fanning him with a palm leaf.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Pallava
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…