The Listing of the Paadal Petra Shivasthalams
Out of the 276 temples glorified in the Tevaram hymns sung by the Nayanmars, 266 temples — known as Paadal Petra Shivasthalams — are located in Tamil Nadu, including Pondicherry. Among these, the majority (191 temples) are found in the historical region of Chola Naadu, with 63 situated north of the River Cauvery and 128 to the south. Pandiya Naadu is home to 14 temples, while Kongu Naadu has 7. Thondai Naadu and Nadu Naadu contain 31 and 23 temples respectively.
The 266 temples known are classified by the ancient regional divisions of Tamilnadu. These divisions were prominent during the era of the great Shaivite saints — Appar (Thirunavukarasar), Sundarar, and Thirugnanasambandar — who composed the revered Thevaram hymns.
RegionWise Classification
Classification as per the divisions that existed during the time of Thevaram Hymns
- Kongu Naadu - 7
- Nadu Naadu - 23
- Pandiya Naadu - 14
- Thondai Naadu - 31
- North of River Cauvery (Chola Naadu) - 63
- South of River Cauvery (Chola Naadu) - 128
Other Locations
Other than the 266 Paadal Petra Shivasthalams located in Tamil Nadu, the remaining temples praised in Thevaram hymns are situated in other parts of India and in Sri Lanka.
- Kerala - (Malai Naadu) - 1
- Andra Pradesh (A part of Thondai Naadu) - 1
- Karnathaka (Thuluva Naadu) - 1
- Sri Lanka (Eezha Naadu) - 2
- North of India - 5
District Wise Classification
| 1. | Vadugur |
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