Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Thirubuvanai

The Varadaraja Perumal Temple, also called the Thirubuvanai or Thodatri Perumal temple, stands in the village of Thirubuvanai on the Puducherry–Villupuram highway, 23 km from Puducherry. Dedicated to Vishnu, it is believed to have been built by the Chola king Parantaka I in the early 10th century, when it was called Setangi Vinnagar. Inscriptions of Rajadhiraja I record a college here teaching the Vedas, sastras and the Ramayana, with teachers and students paid in paddy. The temple was spared when many in the area were destroyed during the French period.

A granite wall encloses the shrines, and in Chola fashion the gateway tower is flat. The sanctum holds a seated, four-armed granite Varadaraja about 5 ft tall, flanked by Sridevi and Bhudevi. Ramayana and Bhagavatam scenes carved on the base of the sanctum show the epic was known in Tamil country before Kamban. Protected by the ASI, the temple remains in worship, with four daily services and festivals such as Vaikuntha Ekadashi.