The Kampaheswarar Temple at Thirubuvanam, on the road from Kumbakonam to Mayiladuthurai, is a Shiva temple built by the Chola king Kulothunga Chola III. It is considered the last of four great temples of the medieval Chola era, in the line of the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram.
Tradition
The name comes from the Sanskrit kampa, "trembling": according to tradition, Shiva cured a king of the trembling caused by an evil spirit. The temple has a shrine to Sharabha, a form of Shiva as a mighty part-lion, part-bird creature, said to have calmed the fury of Narasimha.
History
Inscriptions on the south wall record that the temple was built as a memorial to the king's successful campaign in the north. Scholars date it to about 1176 CE. The inscriptions also mention gifts to other great temples, including Chidambaram, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Thiruvidaimarudur and Thanjavur.
Sources
Last reviewed October 3, 2026