Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple
An early Chola Shiva temple at Periyathirukkonam, listed among the district's historically important temples of the Chola period, with its deity worshipped as Adimadyarjunar (Adhimoolanathar). It is a modest but old heritage shrine reflecting the dense Chola temple-building activity across Ariyalur.
Plan Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple
Check entry arrangements. Ask temple staff about visitor entry, dress requirements and access to the inner shrine before you travel, especially if you are visiting as a non-Hindu.
Dress respectfully and follow the institution’s admission and photography rules.
Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple is planned from Periyathirukkonam, one of the travel bases in Ariyalur district. Use Periyathirukkonam for stays, food and local transport, then plan this place as a focused stop.
How to visit
- Base yourself in Periyathirukkonam or nearby in Ariyalur, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel.
- If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
Best time
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
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Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
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Add a nearby businessPeriyathirukkonam Shiva Temple — at a glance
Entry: Free
How to reach Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple
About 14 km from Ariyalur town; nearest railway station Ariyalur (~14 km); nearest airport Tiruchirappalli (TRZ) ~60 km.
If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
What’s near Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple
The Kallankurichi limestone belt is where a fossilised dinosaur egg was unearthed in 1992 in the cement-factory mines and later certified by experts, with further clusters of titanosaur eggs identified nearby. The site lends its name to the Kallakurichi Formation, a Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) marine unit of the Ariyalur Group rich in ammonites, corals and molluscs. It is one of the district's most significant palaeontology and geology sites for students and researchers.
8.3 km · ~14 min by cab · straight line
A Shiva temple built during the reign of Sundara Chola, notable for its preserved Chola bronze images and stone inscriptions.
9.9 km · ~17 min by cab · straight lineA Vishnu temple at Kallankurichi where the presiding deity Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal, popularly called Kaliyaperumal, is worshipped. Local tradition holds that the temple was built roughly five centuries ago by a cowherd at the spot of a post believed to hold miraculous powers, though the deity itself is considered far more ancient. It is one of the better-known Vaishnavite shrines of the district and lends its name to the limestone-rich locality around it.
10.7 km · ~18 min by cab · straight lineA Shiva temple at Sripurandan dated by inscriptions to the period of Kulottunga III (1178-1218 CE). It drew international attention when its roughly 900-year-old bronze Nataraja idol, stolen and smuggled abroad, was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia before the theft was exposed, leading to the idol's repatriation to India in 2014. The recovered bronze is now held at the Government Museum in Kumbakonam rather than returned to the village shrine.
11.3 km · ~19 min by cab · straight line
A historic Catholic pilgrimage shrine linked to the Italian Jesuit missionary and Tamil scholar Constanzo Beschi (Veeramamunivar), who served here in the 18th century. Its annual feast draws pilgrims from across Tamil Nadu.
11.8 km · ~20 min by cab · straight line
The district headquarters, formed when Ariyalur split from Perambalur in 2007. Known as the Land of Cements for its limestone quarries and cement industry, it is a convenient base for the region's Chola temples and fossil sites.
11.9 km · ~20 min by cab · straight line
A Vishnu temple in Ariyalur town noted for pillars carved with the ten avatars of Vishnu (Dasavatharam) and a tall gopuram rising about 90 feet.
12.8 km · ~21 min by cab · straight lineThe Kallamedu Formation is a Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) rock unit of the Ariyalur Group, laid down in a river (fluvial) setting of siltstones, clays and sandstones. It has yielded dinosaur remains and petrified wood, and the area near Kallamedu village is the reported find-spot of Bruhathkayosaurus, a titanosaur that may have been among the largest land animals ever. The formation is a key terrestrial-dinosaur locality that complements the district's better-known marine fossil beds.
14.0 km · ~23 min by cab · straight line
An early-Chola stone Shiva temple at Melapaluvur (Melapazhuvur), historic seat of the Paluvettaraiyar chieftains who served Chola emperors from Aditya I to Rajendra I. The temple is rich in Chola, Pandya and Vijayanagar inscriptions.
14.0 km · ~23 min by cab · straight lineA pair of finely preserved early-Chola stone temples (Erattaikoil) at Keezhaiyur in the historic Paluvur cluster, one built in 884 AD by the Paluvettaraiyar chief Kumaran Kandan. They are prized for their early Chola architecture and sculpture.
14.1 km · ~24 min by cab · straight lineAn earthen irrigation dam in Udayarpalayam taluk with a bund about 5 km long and a maximum height of roughly 7 metres, fed as part of the Marudaiyaru basin system. It supplies irrigation to surrounding farmland in a largely agricultural district. The reservoir and its long bund make for a quiet local waterscape.
15.5 km · ~26 min by cab · straight lineA Chola Shiva temple at Sennivanam whose inscriptions place it in the reign of Rajendra Chola I (1012-1044 CE), with the presiding deity worshipped as Thirthapurishwarar. It forms part of the cluster of dated Chola shrines in the district alongside the temples at Sendurai and Sripurandan.
15.9 km · ~27 min by cab · straight lineWhere Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple is
Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple?
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
What are the entry fee and timings at Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple?
Entry: Free. Timings: 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
How do I reach Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple?
Base yourself in Periyathirukkonam or nearby in Ariyalur, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel. If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
How much time do I need for Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple?
About an hour.
What else is near Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple?
Nearby you can pair Kallankurichi Dinosaur Egg Fossil Site (8.3 km), Kamarasavalli Karkodeswarar Temple (9.9 km), Kaliyuga Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kallankurichi (10.7 km), Pradakshineswarar Temple, Sripurandan (11.3 km).
Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Periyathirukkonam Shiva Temple itself yet. These cover Periyathirukkonam and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.
Tamil Nadu-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Tamil Nadu.