The Sri Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, or Thiruvellarai Temple, is located in Thiruvellarai village on the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Vishnu, the temple is a revered Divya Desam, one of 108 sacred sites for Vishnu devotees. Built in the Dravidian architectural style, it is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, an early Tamil canon by Alvar saints of the 6th–9th centuries CE, with Vishnu worshipped as Pundarikakshan and his consort Lakshmi as Pankajavalli.
Legends attribute the temple's founding to Sibi Chakravarthy. It houses three inscriptions in two rock-cut caves, dating back to Nandivarman II (732–796 CE) and Dantivarman (796–847). Within the temple are Pallava carvings of Vishnu’s avatars, Narasimha and Varaha. Enclosed by a granite wall, the temple complex includes shrines and water bodies, while a swastika-shaped temple tank, constructed in 800 CE, lies just outside the complex. Vijayanagar and Nayak rulers later commissioned vibrant paintings within the shrine.
According to temple lore, Pundarikakshan bestowed divine blessings upon figures such as Garuda, Sibi Chakravarthy, and sage Markandeya. Six daily rituals and three annual festivals are held, with the chariot festival in Chaitra (March–April) drawing the largest crowds. This festival is distinctive for its community feast tradition, a practice upheld for centuries. The temple is administered by Tamil Nadu’s Hindu Religious and Endowment Board, preserving its cultural significance.
Constructed primarily during the Pallava period, the temple saw additions through successive reigns, including the Cholas, Pandyas, Hoysalas, and Vijayanagara kings. Flood damage in 1262–63 led to repairs by a merchant, and modern renovations are managed by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board, which oversees an Annadhanam scheme, providing free meals to one hundred devotees daily. The scheme is sustained by the contributions of devotees, ensuring continued service to worshippers.