Temples in Govindaputtur (Govandaputtur)

Govindaputtur is in the Udayarpalayam taluk of Tiruchy district. Appar (7th century a.d.) has sung Visayamangai in Govandaputtur on the banks of the Kollidam (Coleroon) so called since the linga enshrined here is said to have been worshipped by a cow: Samban-dar also refers in his hymns to this legendary story. This place is also associated with Partha or Arjuna of the Pancha Pandavas, also known as Vijaya (or Visaya in Tamil) who is supposed to have worshipped the deity here; hence perhaps the names of Vijayamangai and Vijayamangalam. This place has to be considered distinct from another Vijayamangai on the south bank of the Kollidam, to the east of Tiruvaigavur.

Gangajathadharar temple (Tiru Visayamangai)

Though there are a large number of Parakesari inscriptions here, they have no distinguishing epithets and most of them perhaps belong to Uttama Chola. The earliest inscription is the one on the south wall of the central shrine, belonging to the 22nd year of Parantaka I (177 of 1928-29). This registers a gift of three plots of land for offerings to Vijayamangalattu Mahadevar. The place seems also to have been named Parantaka-Chaturvedimangalam and, later, Periya Vanavan Maha-devi Chaturvedimangalam after the queen of Sundara Chola and mother of Rajaraja I (for a further discussion see under Uttama Chola).