am eg ha ▁Per um al ▁and ▁his ▁cons ort ▁Lak sh mi ▁as ▁Tir uk ann ap ura ▁N ay agi . ▁As ▁per ▁H indu ▁legend , ▁the ▁pres iding ▁de ity ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁appeared ▁with ▁a ▁w ig ▁( called ▁sow ri ▁locally ) ▁to ▁save ▁a ▁dev ote e , ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁name ▁S ow ri ra jan . ▁ ▁A ▁gran ite ▁wall ▁surr ounds ▁the ▁temple , ▁en clos ing ▁all ▁its ▁shr ines ▁and ▁three ▁of ▁its ▁seven ▁bodies ▁of ▁water . ▁The ▁temple ▁has ▁a ▁seven - t ier ed ▁ra j ag op ur am , ▁the ▁temple ' s ▁gateway ▁tower ▁and ▁a ▁huge ▁temple ▁tank ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁it . ▁The ▁temple ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁Ch olas , ▁with ▁later ▁add itions ▁from ▁the ▁Th an jav ur ▁N ay aks . ▁ ▁Six ▁daily ▁rit uals ▁and ▁three ▁year ly ▁festiv als ▁are ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁temple , ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁ch ari ot ▁festival , ▁celebrated ▁during ▁the ▁T amil ▁month ▁of ▁Va ik asi ▁( A pril – May ), ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁prominent . ▁The ▁temple ▁follows ▁Then kal ai ▁mode ▁of ▁worship ▁and ▁is ▁maintained ▁and ▁admin ister ed ▁by ▁the ▁H indu ▁Relig ious ▁and ▁End ow ment ▁Board ▁of ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁T amil ▁N adu . ▁ ▁Leg end ▁As ▁per ▁H indu ▁legend , ▁Rang ab hat ta ▁an ▁ar dent ▁dev ote e ▁and