Kola Valvill Ramar Temple

The Kola Valvill Ramar Temple stands at Tiruvelliyangudi in the Kaveri delta of the Tamil country. Vishnu is worshipped here reclining as Kola Valvill Ramar, with Lakshmi as Maragathavalli; the shrine is among the 108 Divya Desams praised in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham of the Alvar saints between the sixth and ninth centuries.

Built in the Dravidian style, its brick shrines and two tanks are enclosed by granite walls and entered through a multi-tiered gopuram. Legend says Vishnu appeared here to the sage Markandeya.

The place is linked to Vishnu's dwarf avatar: legend says that when the demon preceptor Sukracharya took the shape of an insect to block King Bali's ritual gift of land, Vishnu blinded him with a spear point; Sukracharya did penance here to recover his eye, and his lamp is still honoured as the Nethra Deepam. The sage Parasara is also said to have worshipped here.