Kattumannarkoil History & Temples

Kattumannarkoil is a panchayat town and taluk headquarter in Cuddalore district

in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Kattumannarkoil Town Panchayat constituted in the year of 1892. The Town is coming under the administrative territory of Cuddalore District. The Town is situated along with 25 Kilometer South West of Chidambaram and lies on the Chidambaram - Trichy Highway Road. It is Pilgrim Spot in ancient epic and tourist centre.

Veeranarayana Perumal Koil Temple is located in Kattumannarkoil near Chidambaram. It is the avathara sthalam of Nathamuni and his grandson Alavanthar. As per the Sri Veeranarayanaperumal's instruction Naathamuni collected back to this world all the verses of naalyera divyaprabantham written by alwars, which were lost. The temple is facing east, with a tank in front. It is said that Veeranam lake is named after this Perumal.

The first Paranthaka Chozha alias Veeranarayanan renewed Sri Mannanarkoil by brick construction. But there is authority to prove that Mannanar Perumal Temple was in existence even before the Chozha king paranthakan (Uthama Chozhan’s 16th year stone inscription). The stone inscriptions of Krishanadevaraya convey that the place of this temple is Veeranarayana Cheri which later turned as Veeranarayanapura Chadurvedhi Mangalam. Sadaya Varman Sundara Pandian installed the present deity Sri Veeranarayana Perumal in the 13th century. He renovated the temple fully. Veeranam Tank is one of the biggest tanks in Tamil Nadu and also an age old one. This tank has been referred briefly in the book called “Ponniyen Selvan” Written by the famous author ‘Kalki’ in the year 1950. This book gives the information on the age of this tank and it has been mentioned that the tank was formed at a period of more than 1000 years by the Prince Rajathithar Son of Parandage Chola. The tank was originally called as Veeranarayanan Tank.