Veeranam Lake

An ancient Vishnu temple on the banks of Veeranam Lake, granted by Chola king Parantaka I in the 10th century to Vedic scholars. It is revered in Srivaishnavism as the birthplace of the 9th-century acharya Nathamuni, who collected and compiled the 4,000 hymns of the Divya Prabandham. Later renovations were carried out by the Pandya king Sadayavarman Sundara Pandyan in the 13th century.

A Shiva temple at Thirunaraiyur village in Kattumannarkoil taluk, where the deity is worshipped as Soundareswarar, or Soundaranathar. It is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams praised in the Tevaram hymns.

A Shiva temple at Thiru Erukkathampuliyur (Rajendrapattinam) in Kattumannarkoil taluk, where the deity is worshipped as Neelakandeswarar. It is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams glorified in the Tevaram hymns of the Saiva saints.

A Shiva temple at Omampuliyur in Kattumannarkoil taluk, where the deity is worshipped as Pranava Vyaghrapureeswarar. It is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams revered in the Tevaram hymns of the Nayanmars.

A Shiva temple built in granite in 1113 CE during the reign of Kulothunga Chola I. It is a rare surviving example of the chariot-shaped Karakoil style, with the sanctum resting on a base shaped like a horse-drawn chariot with wheels and horses. The 88th Paadal Petra Sthalam of the Tevaram, it houses an unusual ten-armed Dasabuja Rishaba Thandavamoorthy sculpture of Shiva.

The birthplace shrine of Sri Raghavendra Swami, born Venkatanatha in 1595 CE, the revered 17th-century Madhva Dvaita Vedanta saint and scholar. His ancestral home in Bhuvanagiri has been converted into a Raghavendra Swamy Matha with a mrithika Brindavan. It draws Madhva pilgrims for rituals and festivals through the year.

Dravidian-style Vishnu temple dedicated to Varaha, one of the eight self-manifested (Swayambu) Kshetras of Vishnu, with Chola origins and later Nayak-era expansions including an ornate chariot-shaped mandapam.

A Vishnu temple (Thiruchitrakoodam) that sits inside the Thillai Nataraja Temple complex and ranks among the 108 Divya Desams of Vaishnavism. Vishnu is worshipped here as Govindaraja Perumal alongside his consort Pundarikavalli. It is one of only two Divya Desams housed within a Shiva temple; the idol was removed under Kulothunga Chola II and later reinstated by Krishnappa Nayak in the 16th century.

Ancient temple of Shiva as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, and one of the Pancha Bhoota Stalams representing Aakasha (space/ether); famed for its golden-roofed Chit Sabha and the mystery of the Chidambara Rahasyam.

A temple on the northern edge of Chidambaram dedicated to Kali (Thillai Kaliamman), consort of Shiva. It was built by the Kadava chieftain Kopperunchinga, who ruled between 1229 and 1278 CE. Legend links it to the dance contest between Shiva and Parvati, after which Kali is said to have settled here away from the Nataraja shrine.

A Shiva temple at Sivapuri (Thirunelvayil), a village near Chidambaram, where the presiding deity is worshipped as Uchinathar, or Madhyaneeswarar. It is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams revered in the Tevaram hymns of the Saiva Nayanmars.

A Shiva temple at Thirukkazhippalai, about 5 km from Chidambaram near Sivapuri, where the deity is worshipped as Palvanna Nathar. It is counted among the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams glorified in the Tevaram hymns of the Nayanmars. It lies within the Chidambaram temple cluster of the district.