Legend

According to the legend Thirugnana Sambanthar was glorified by the cosmic dance

Nataraja

Nataraja or Nataraj , The Lord of Dance; Tamil: கூத்தன் ;Telugu:నటరాజ is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation...

 of 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...

 at this holy place. Appar's

Thirunavukkarasar

Tirunavukkarasar , , also known as Appar was a seventh century Saivite poet-saint of Tamil Nadu, one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars. He was an older contemporary of Sambandar...

 sister Thilakavathiyar settled here during her later years and devoted her lifetime service to the Lord Siva. Also notable saints Thirunavukkarasar

Thirunavukkarasar

Tirunavukkarasar , , also known as Appar was a seventh century Saivite poet-saint of Tamil Nadu, one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars. He was an older contemporary of Sambandar...

, and Arunagirinathar

Arunagirinathar

Arunagirinathar was Tamil poet who lived during the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the creator of Tiruppugazh, a book of poems in Tamil in praise of the Hindu God Murugan. He was a member of the Isai Vellalar community....

 visited and wrote many hymns on the Lord. Afflicted by a painful illness, Thirunavukkarasar prayed for relief at this temple where his sister Thilagavathiyar served and was cured. This temple is the place where Lord shiva destroyed three rakshashas(demons) and the three cities created by them. Saranarayana Perumal, another name of Lord Vishnu, is the one who gave the saram(arrow) to Lord shiva for killing the demons.Hence the name Saranarayanar. The Saranarayana Perumal temple is also located in Panruti.

Location

This ancient Siva temple is located at South Arcot district 2 km from Panruti. There is a good bus network between Chennai, Cuddalore

Cuddalore

Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...

, Virudhachalam

Virudhachalam

Virudhachalam is a municipality and taluk headquarters in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Etymology:...

, Villupuram, Chidambaram

Chidambaram

Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...

 and Thiruvathigai. One can reach the temple from Panruti bus stand towards Cuddalore

Cuddalore

Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...

road to reach Thiruvathigai. Buses will reach up to the temple location. There is also Train access to Panruti from Chennai. This temple is one among the 8 veera Siva temples in Tamil Nadu.