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This
historic Saivakshetra is surrounded by seven hillocks, housing one
god or the other atop, and they were patronised and endowed
liberally by Cholas. On account of their settlement here in this
place, they were called Kaudur Cholas. It is said that they
installed one hundred lingas and worshipped them with great fervor.
Among them Ramalingeswara Aalayam is one, and it was on
the top of a hillock. The special feature of this Sivalinga is that
its panavattam is completely wheel shaped, in contradiction to the
traditional shape of a rim drawn to a point on its north, for
abhishek water to flow down into a receptacle, seen everywhere,
except Dhundhibhithira, where the Sivalinga is placed on a squared
shaped panavatta. For this circular shape, there is a legend.
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