Throughout

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, there are a large amount of temples dedicated to

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, one of the principal deities of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. The most temples are in the South Indian state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

, where there are 2,500 Shiva temples of importance. There are several kinds of temples in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Pancha Bootha Sthalangal temples

Pancha Booth Sthalangal are the temples that are the manifestation of the five elements – land, water, air, sky, and fire.

Pancha Sabhai Sthalangal

Panch Sabhai Sthalangal are the temples where

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

is believed to have performed the Cosmic Dance.

Paadal Petra Sthalangal temples

Shiva Temples which are glorified in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

Tevaram The ''Thevaram'' ( ta, தேவாரம், ), also spelled ''Tevaram'', denotes the first seven volumes of the twelve-volume collection ''Tirumurai'', a Śaiva narrative of epic and puranic heroes, as well as a hagiographic account of early ...

hymns are the Paadal Petra Sthalangal and have been in existence for more than 1,000 years. References to these temples are found in

Hymns, composed and authored by the 3 Nayanamars,

Thirunavukarasar Appar, also referred to as ( ta, திருநாவுக்கரசர்) or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Śaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Śaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is ...

Sambandar Sambandar (Tamil: சம்பந்தர்), also referred to as Tirugnana Sambandar (lit. ''Holy Sage Sambandar''), Tirujnanasambanda, Campantar or Jñāṉacampantar, was a Shaiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived sometime in the 7th cen ...

and

Sundarar Sundarar (Tamil: சுந்தரர்), also referred to as Chuntarar, Chuntaramurtti, Nampi Aruran or Tampiran Tolan, was an eighth-century poet-saint of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta tradition of Hinduism. He is among the Tevaram trio, and one o ...

, who lived between 7th and 9th century CE.

Chennai & Tiruvallur

Coimbatore

Kancheepuram

Panrutti

Tindivanam

Thirukkoviloor

Ulundurpettai

Viruthachalam

Cuddalore

Manikkam meena

Chidambaram

Kattumannarkoil

Sirkazhi

Kumbakonam

Papanasam

Kaaraikkal

Mannargudi

Thiruthuraipoondi

Nagapattinam

Namakkal

Thanjavur

Tiruchirapalli

Madurai

Dindigul

There are several ancient Shiva temples in and around Dindigul:

Tirunelveli

There are several ancient Shiva temples in and around Tirunelveli:

Thoothukudi - Tuticorin

Ancient Shiva temples in and around Thoothukudi.

Tiruvannamalai

Rameswaram

Ramanathapuram

Tamilakam temples

Malai Nadu (Kerala)

Tuluva Nadu (Karnataka)

Eezha Nadu (Sri Lanka)

Sri Kalahasti Temple (Andhra Pradesh)

, Kalahasteeswarar Temple , Kalahasthi , -

Nava Kailasam temples

These nine Siva temples are located on the river bed of

Thamirabarani The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats, above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk. It flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi di ...

river near

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...

. *

Papanasam Papanasam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Kumbakonam. The name literally translates to "Destruction of Sins" in the Tamil language. It is the suburban region ...

* Cheran Mahadevi *

Kodaganallur Kodaganallur is a village on the banks of the Thamirabarani River, river Tamaraparani in Tamil Nadu, located near the Laccadive Sea, Laccadive sea in the South India, south of India. It is located 15 kilometres from Tirunelveli on the Tirunelv ...

*Kunnathur (Tamil Nadu), Tirunelveli *Murappanadu * Srivaikuntam *

Thenthiruperai Thenthiruperai is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the nine temple shrines that constitutes Nava Tirupathi temples. It is also hosts one of the Navakailasams, Then Thiruperai Sri Kailasanat ...

*Rajapathy *Senthamangalam, Tuticorin

References

Notes

External links

Temples in Tamilnadu – An introduction
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shiva Temples Of Tamil Nadu Lists of Hindu temples in India Lists of tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu