Vedanarayana Perumal Temple, Thirunarayanapuram

Vedanarayana Perumal Temple at Thirunarayanapuram, in Tiruchirappalli district, is dedicated to Vishnu as Vedanarayana and Lakshmi as Vedanayaki. The god is shown reclining with the four Vedas as his pillow while teaching them to Brahma. Built in the Dravidian style, the temple is believed to be the work of the Medieval Cholas and a Vijayanagara king. It holds six daily rituals and around twelve festivals a year, the chief being the chariot festival in the month of Chittirai.

The temple's best-loved story concerns Thiru Naraiyur Araiyar, a devotee who came here with his wife and six children in search of liberation. When a fire broke out and threatened the sanctum, he is said to have cast his children one after another towards the god to shield the image, and at last covered it with his own body. Vishnu granted the whole family moksha, and the place is also honoured as Pillai Thirunaraiyur Abhimana Kshetram. Araiyar has his own shrine in the prakaram.