Pazhamalainathar Temple is situated at Vriddachalam in
Cuddalore District. The deity of this
Shivasthalam is
Lord Shiva known by the names Pazhamalainathar or Vridhagireeswarar. There is also a shrine for Goddess Periyanayaki.
Spread over an area of four acres, the temple has seven tiered Gopurams at the four entrances. The outermost prakaram is called Kailasa Prakaram. The temple is said to have built originally by the sage Vipachit. It was reconstructed by Sembiyan Mahadevi, the Chola queen, in the 10th century. The temple houses the images of Vinayakar,
Dakshinamurthy, Lingodbhavar, Brahma, Gangadharar and Ardhanareeswarar. Bronze images of the
Nataraja and the Bhogeswari are also seen here. There is a mandapam named Nandi Mandapam built in memory of Sembiyan Mahadevi.
Three annual festivals are celebrated here - one in the month of Aadi Pooram (July–August), the Vaikasi Vasantotsavam and the Maasi Brahmotsavam.
