Situate 2 km east Srirangam, this beautiful Siva temple steals the show from the larger Ranganathaswami temple due to its excellent architectural design. The temple is named after the elephant which is believed to have worshiped Lord Siva here.
This temple has records of patronage from the Chola Pandya, Hoysala and the Madurai Naik kings. The temple is said to have been built by the Chola King Ko Chenkannan and it was of special significance to the Chola kings. Ko Chenkannan is praised by Tamil literature for having built more than seventy temples - and he is historically placed in the Sangam period (the very early years of the Christian era).
|