Athmanathaswamy Temple, Avudaiyarkoil

Thirupperunthurai, also called the Athmanathaswamy Temple, stands in Avudaiyarkoil village near Aranthangi in Pudukkottai district. It goes back to the 10th century and is tied to Manikkavasagar, whose Tiruvasakam, a sacred text of Tamil Saiva Siddhanta, began here. Legend says that as minister to King Varaguna Pandya II he spent money meant for buying horses on building the temple, and Shiva saved him by turning jackals into horses. Much of the present fabric is from the 15th century.

The temple is unusual in having no linga: the sanctum holds only a pedestal, the avudaiyar, for the formless deity Athmanathar, and the goddess Sivayoganayaki is also worshipped without an image. There is no Nandi either. The south-facing complex covers more than 10 acres within three enclosures, and is known for carvings of the 27 nakshatras, granite ceilings that imitate ropes, rafters and nails, six sabhas or halls, and a thousand-pillared hall with figures of Shiva's dance, Karaikal Ammaiyar and the bow-holding Subramanya. Vedic rather than Agamic rituals are performed here by Nambiar Brahmins.