Palaivananathar Temple is a Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Papanasam

Papanasam

Papanasam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In otherwords it is a grown up village and Growing Town. This is the town 25 km from Tanjore and 15 km from Kumbakonam...

, Tamilnadu, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.It is considered to be the 19th in the series of Tevara Stalams in the Chola kingdom located south of the river Kaveri.

The Temple

The Tiruppaalaitturai temple with 2 prakaram

Prakaram

A Prakaram, also spelled Pragaram or Pragaaram) in Indian architecture is an outer parth around the Hindu temple sanctum. These may be enclosed or open and are typically enclosed for the inner most prakaram....

s(outer courtyard) occupies an area of 3 acres (12,140.6 m²), and its entrance is crowned with a 5 tiered Rajagopuram

Gopuram

A Gopuram or Gopura, is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. This forms a prominent feature of Koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial...

. Inscriptions from the Chola and Vijayanagara Empire

Vijayanagara Empire

The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...

 periods are seen in this temple. Here Lord Shiva

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

 is also known as Paalaivananathar.

Granary

There is also a world famous granary (Store House of paddy) Breadth: 86 feet (26.2 m), Height: 36 feet (11 m) capacity of 3,000 Kalam (measure) constructed by Nayaks in 1600 - 1634. State Archaeological Department declared it as a monument. Mention must be made of those from the period of Kulothunga Chola I

Kulothunga Chola I

Kō Rājakēsarivarman Abaya Kulōthunga Chōla was one of the greatest kings of the Chola Empire. He was one of the sovereigns who bore the title Kulottunga, literally meaning the exalter of his race.-Early life:...

 and Kulothunga Chola III

Kulothunga Chola III

Kulothunga Chola III was the ruler of the Chola empire from 1178 to 1218 AD, after succeeding Rajadhiraja Chola II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war against the Pandyas of Madurai, Cheras of Venad, Hoysalas of Mysore, the Sinhala...

 speaking of gifts made to the temple during the Chola period.

Papanasam

Papanasam (Thanjavur) (Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

: பாபநாசம், literally means Destruction of Sins) is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district

Thanjavur District

Thanjavur District is one of the 32 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur.-Geography:...

 in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In otherwords it is a grown up village and Growing Town. This is the town 25 km from Tanjore and 15 km from Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...

. There are 3 rivers named Kaveri, Thirumalairajan and Kudamurutti helping the farmers to cultivate the good food - grains.