it is built on a hillock and houses a small gateway tower known as "gopurams". the temple is a rock cut temple and has many shrines, with those of karunellinathar and chokki amman being the most prominent. the temple is located on the other side of ninra narayana perumal temple, a famous vishnu temple and can be reached from that temple on the hillock. the temple is believed to have been built by gurukalathirayan during the pandyan regime in 1233 ce.