Pachaimalai Hills

A perennial forest waterfall and picnic spot at the foot of the Pachaimalai hills, about 20 km from Thuraiyur town. Fed by hill streams, it is surrounded by tamarind groves that give the site its name (puliyan cholai). It is one of the most visited natural picnic destinations in Tiruchirappalli district.

A Vishnu temple on the banks of the Kaveri about 20 km from Trichy, considered an Abhimana Sthalam and often called a southern counterpart of Tirupati. It is renowned for a traditional 48-day cure ritual for mentally ill devotees, who stay within the temple premises. In 1996 the temple established a Tamil Nadu government-licensed mental health rehabilitation centre, the first of its kind in the state.

A popular riverside picnic spot, also called Upper Anaicut, where the Cauvery river bifurcates into the Kollidam and Cauvery branches; the regulator dam is fronted by gardens and boating.

A 108 Divya Desam dedicated to Vishnu as Pundarikakshan with his consort Pankajavalli, believed to be older than Srirangam. Set on a white rock, it includes two Pallava- and Chola-era rock-cut cave temples, one from Nandivarman II's reign and another from Rajaraja I's. The temple has an ancient stepped tank and inscriptions spanning the Pallava, Chola, Pandya, Vijayanagara and Nayak periods.

A butterfly conservatory and park in the Srirangam area, a family-oriented nature attraction with landscaped gardens and enclosures for observing native butterfly species.

A prominent Murugan shrine on the outskirts of Trichy that draws regional pilgrims, especially during Skanda Sashti and other Murugan festival days.

A Paadal Petra Sthalam Shiva temple about 20 km north of Trichy, praised by the Saivite trio Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar. It is unusual for having a dedicated shrine to Yama, the god of death, in a cave-like chamber said to be built by the Pallava king Mahendravarman. Devotees perform Ayush Homa here to overcome the fear of death, and the temple carries inscriptions of Rajaraja I and Rajendra Chola I.

One of the 108 Divya Desams, glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Thirumangai Alvar. It is the only temple where the Trimurti - Brahma, Vishnu (worshipped here as Purushothama Perumal) and Shiva - are enshrined together with their consorts in six separate shrines. Built in Dravidian style, it once formed a four-Divya-Desam circuit with Uraiyur, Srirangam and Thiruvellarai.

Largest functioning Hindu temple complex in the world at 156 acres, dedicated to Vishnu and foremost among the eight self-manifested Vishnu shrines. Its seven concentric enclosures and towering gopurams draw pilgrims year-round.

Highly popular pilgrimage shrine to Goddess Mariamman, one of the region's major Shakti temples, drawing especially large crowds during the annual Aadi and Panguni festivals.

An ancient roofless-sanctum Shakti temple in Uraiyur, the historic capital of the early Chola dynasty, dedicated to the goddess believed to have blessed the Cholas before battle.

A Paadal Petra Sthalam Shiva temple built on a rocky hillock beside the Uyyakondan channel of the Kaveri, revered in the 7th-century Tevaram hymns. Shiva is worshipped here as Uyyakondan (Ujjivanathar) with his consort Anjanakshi. The four-acre temple has concentric granite walls and inscriptions recording a crown gifted by the Chola queen Sembiyan Mahadevi.