Vijayalaya Choliswaram

The temple stands on the Nartamalai hills, a set of nine hills near Pudukkottai. It is a small, two-chambered structure ringed by eight smaller sub-shrines in varying stages of dilapidation, thought to have served Durga, the Saptha Matrika and other Śaiva deities.

The central shrine is unusual for its circular plan. The vimāna above carries Śaiva deities in the four directions, elegantly carved. On the base of the dwarapalaka, or door guardian, is an inscription recording its construction.

The book places the central shrine and its sculpture well before the 9th century. An inscription on the base of the door guardian states that Sattan Pudi built the stone temple and that Mallan Viduman Tennavan Tamiladiriyan rebuilt it. A Pandya inscription of the 13th century calls the temple by the same name.

Opposite stands a cave temple, the Palliyil Iswaram, dated to the seventh year of the Pallava king Nrupathunga (849 to 875 CE) and built by Sattan Palliyil. A further cave opposite, probably once a Jain cave, later became a Vishnu temple; its empty sanctum is fronted by twelve identical images of Vishnu. Nartamalai was a Muttarayar centre and became a Nagaram, a traders' settlement, in the 10th century CE.