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Vriddhachalam (Tirumudukunram), Tamil Nadu · 11.5164°, 79.3288°
The great temple of Tirumudukunram ('the old hill'), commissioned by the Chola queen Sembiyan Mahadevi, with five gopurams and a chariot-shaped hundred-pillared hall. A Paadal Petra Sthalam held to grant salvation to departed souls even beyond Varanasi's power.
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.
Shiva is said to have taken the form of an ancient mountain at Brahma's prayer, earning the name Pazhamalai, the old hill.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chola
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…