Temples in Tirunamanallur (or Tirunavalur) (28th year)

This village is on the northern bank of the Gadilam half a mile (0.80 km.) east on the road (to Cuddalore) from the Madras Trunk Road (113th mile). It is sacred to the Tamils as the birth place of the Saint Sundarar.

An inscription of the 32nd year of Parantaka I mentions a Vishnu temple called that of Tiru-merrali Maha Vishnu. This is not to be traced now.

The temple of Bhaktajanesvara is referred to in a 17th year inscription of Parantaka I as the Tiruttondis-varattu-devar koyil at Tirunavalur. Another of his 28th year records that it was constructed of stone by Rajadityadevar, the eldest son of Parantaka I.

Hence the temple came to be called Rajaditya-Isvaram even from the 29th year of Parantaka I. A large number of gifts and endowments to the temple were made by the retinue and a number of officers and soldiers of the regiment of Pillaiyar Rajaditya almost all of them Malayalis belonging to the military station of (Mouli -) Gramam. The set-back to Chola rule in this area is indicated by the issue of a grant in Saka 875 (a.d. 953) by a chief Munayadaraiyan Kulamanikka Raman Devan who does not recognise any overlord.

There are also a few metals of high artistic merit, a Bhikshatanar (PL 70), a set of Sundaramurti and his two consorts and another metal of either Siva or a portrait of the local chief, the patron of Saint Sundaramurti.

The garbhagriha is a square 15 ft. 6 in. (4.8 m.) side. The ardhamandapa projects forward 9 ft. 7 in. (2.9 m.). The plinth has lotus and kumudam mouldings and a yali frieze. Only the southern devakoshta has Dakshina-murti. The grim and the sikhara are square but modern.