Thiruvarur

Thiruvarur was once called Ārūr in Tevaram, a 7th-century Shaivite canonical work. The Tiru prefix is often added to the Divya Desams that are revered in the verses of Tevaram. Thus the city became Thiruvarur. Thiruvarur was one of the five traditional capitals of the Chola Empire and the history of town revolves around the Thygarajaswamy temple. The granite structure of the temple was first constructed by Aditya Chola I (871–907 CE) in the 9th century CE and revamped during the reign of Rajaraja Chola I (985–1014 CE). The temple was upgraded and rebuilt with stone by Rajendra Chola I (1012–44 CE). The temple has inscriptions from both the emperors, later Cholas and Pandyas. The temple is believed to be an inspiration for Rajaraja Chola to build the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur.