Site Name: Tiruvaiyaru
Date: ca 851-899 CE
Subject: Vimana, west wall detail
CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Tiruvaiyaru means place of five rivers – the Kaveri and her four branches. Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar have glorified this place by their devotional hymns so this temple was a living institution even before the seventh century CE. In recent years, Tiruvaiyaru has gained greater prestige by the association with this place of saint Thyagaraja, one of the greatest exponents of Carnatic music. The Pancanadisvarar temple here is one of the holiest temples in Kaveri valley. It is a large complex with several subsequent additions but the main shrine is a small structure. The temple was probably rebuilt in stone in or before 888 CE. Reference: M.W. Meister and M.A. Dhaky, 1963, p. 161, S.R. Balasubrahmanyam, 1966, pp.149-152.