Chenraya Perumal Temple
ஸ்ரீ சென்னராய பெருமாள் திருக்கோயில்
Lord Chennakesava Swamy · Adhiyamankottai, Tamil Nadu
Ancient
About the temple
The royal capital temple of the ancient Tagadur kingdom ruled by famous Sangam chieftain Adhiyaman; built with stunning Hoysala-Chola architectural synthesis; celebrated for exquisite 17th-century ceiling frescoes depicting narrative scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Traditional belief: Bestows righteous royal courage, victory over enemies, academic wisdom, and family prosperity.
Temple information
- Darshan timings
- 06:30 – 20:00
- Established
- 12
- Best time to visit
- Early morning hours on mid-week non-festival days to experience a peaceful darshan atmosphere
Deity
Lord Chennakesava SwamyGanesha FamilyHanumanGarudaAlwars
- Deity form
- Majestic 6-foot tall standing monolithic stone icon of Lord Chenraya Perumal holding Shankha, Chakra, Gada, and Abhaya hasta
- Religious tradition
- Vedic Pancharatra Agamic Tradition & Hoysala-Adhiyaman Royal Heritage
- Sanskrit name
- श्री चेन्नरायपेरुमाळ् मन्दिरम्
- Also known as
- Adhiyamankottai Perumal Temple, Tagadur Chenraya Perumal Gudi, Hoysala Vishnu Temple Adhiyamankottai
Darshan hours
- Daily
- 06:30 AM - 12:00 PM, 04:30 PM - 08:00 PM
- Break timings
- 12:00 PM - 04:30 PM
- Special days
- Vaikunta Ekadashi, Krishna Janmashtami: 04:30 AM - 10:30 PM
- Festival timings
- Open till 10:30 PM on Vaikunta Ekadashi and Purattasi Saturdays
Aarti & rituals
- Morning aarti
- 07:30 AM
- Midday aarti
- 11:45 AM
- Evening aarti
- 06:00 PM
- Night aarti
- 07:45 PM
- Special aarti days
- Saturdays, Ekadashi, Purattasi Saturdays, Vaikunta Ekadashi
- Ritual schedule
- Nitya Thiruvaradhana, Thulasi Archana, Sahasranamarchana, Chariot procession on Vaikunta Ekadashi
- Pooja timings
- 06:30 AM - 12:00 PM, 04:30 PM - 07:45 PM
- Abhishek timings
- Thirumanjanam performed on Saturdays at 07:00 AM
- Special poojas
- Available
- Online pooja booking
- No
History & heritage
- Historical period
- Ancient
- Built by
- King Vishnuvardhana / Narasimha I of Hoysalas and local Adhiyaman chieftains
- Architect / builder
- Master traditional Hoysala and Kongu stone sculptors
- Construction materials
- Solid dressed granite stone masonry, chlorite schist soapstone carvings, lime-mortar frescoes
- Historical events
- Adhiyamankottai was the legendary circular capital fort of King Adhiyaman Neduman Anji, celebrated by Sangam poetess Avvaiyar for giving her the immortal amla fruit (Nelli)
- Renovations
- Protected monument conserved under Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology and HR&CE Department with restoration of ancient ceiling murals
- Archaeological importance
- Crucial heritage monument preserving priceless 17th-century Nayaka ceiling paintings and medieval Kannada-Tamil inscriptions
- Legends
- The Lord was consecrated to protect the circular fort of Tagadur; King Adhiyaman worshipped here before marching into righteous battles
- Inscriptions
- Stone epigraphs in Old Kannada and Tamil recording donations of land and revenues by Hoysala and Vijayanagara monarchs
Architecture
- Architectural style
- Dravidian
- Architectural period
- 12th Century CE with 17th Century CE Nayaka mural expansions
- Structure
- Fortified stone temple complex with entrance gopuram, pillared navaranga, painted Mahamandapa, and separate Thayar shrine
- Floors
- 1
- Gopuram
- Three-tiered entrance Rajagopuram embellished with stucco sculptures of Dashavatara and Garuda
- Mandapa
- Pillared Mahamandapa supported by monolithic granite columns featuring exquisite 17th-century ceiling paintings depicting the entire epic Ramayana and Mahabharata
- Sculptural features
- Standing 6-foot idol of Lord Chenraya Perumal; stone Sundaravalli Thayar; carved stone Garuda; detailed pillar bas-reliefs
- Artistic elements
- World-famous herbal mineral frescoes on the ceiling illustrating the battle of Kurukshetra, celestial damsels, and courtly processions
- Construction technique
- Interlocking monolithic granite block masonry combined with lime-plaster ceiling fresco art
- Unique features
- The breathtaking 17th-century ceiling fresco murals preserved in vibrant vegetable dyes depicting the epic Mahabharata narrative
Festivals & events
- Festival calendar
- Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi, Chaitra Rathotsava
- Special celebration days
- Every Saturday, Shukla Ekadashi, Purattasi Saturdays
- Cultural events
- Classical music concerts, Harikatha, and Tamil Sangam literary symposiums during festivals
- Annual events
- Chenraya Perumal annual car festival through the historic fort streets
- Peak crowd season
- September to October (Purattasi season) and December to January
Visitor information
- ✓ Parking
- ✓ Restrooms
- ✓ Drinking water
- ✓ Shoe keeping
- ✓ Prasadam counter
- Dress code
- Traditional
- Best time to visit
- Early morning hours on mid-week non-festival days to experience a peaceful darshan atmosphere
- Parking capacity
- 50+ vehicles
- Parking fees
- Approx. 20-50 INR
- Donation counters
- Yes
- Donation methods
- Cash, UPI, Bank Transfer
- Prasadam
- Vibhuti/Kumkum.