Senthalai temple dedicated to Sri Sundareswarar, near Kumbakonam: an age old simple historical temple (

 Sri Sundareswarar temple, Sendalai 

Senthalai temple dedicated  to  Sri Sundareswara (consort: Sri Meenakshi is near Kumbakonam, TN  has a Rajagopuram (facing east) with 7 tiers. The temple has relevant features associated with the Shiva temple like his vahana, Nandi, Ganapathy. Sandikeswarar ,Dhakshinamurthyetc.The main deity god Shiva is Suyambu Murthy.

Senthalai temple,TN wanderingheritager.blogspot.com

Lord Shiva appeared as Ardhanareeswarar before  a Ghandaeva woman Senthalai (who was cursed by a sage to be born as a woman here). She requested the God to name this after here, hence the name sethalai. The trinity god Brahma worshipped this God here and got his blessings hence this place is also known as Pirmaranyam.

There is a navagraha shrine in the pradakshina path . Also included in the temple are the images of  Vishnu, Hamman  Brahma,Nataraja in dance posture, Bhairavar.  

Senthalai temple stone inscriptions,

Above image: Sri Sundareswarar temple near Kumbakonam, TN 
Image credit: wanderingheritager.blogspot.com

Believed to be built in the 7th to 8th Century during early Pallava / Chozha Period. from the   Pallava & Mutharaiyar period Grantha inscriptionsit is inferred that this area was once known as Chandralekai Chathurvedi mangalam and over the period this place was renamed Sendalai.  The early rulers were  Mutharaiyar and Murtharaiyan-II ( 705-745 AD) was a significant ruler. The inscriptions mention various titles of the rulers, etc. Their rule predated the Chola period. This temple probably came up before Rajendra CholaI. Inscriptions suggest  possible donation of  gold,  grants of land,etc for the temple  to maintain it, take care of regular pujas, rituals, lighting of oil lamps in the temple by  Nandhivarman-III, Videlvidugu Mutharaiyan, Adhithya Chozha-I,

After Rajaraja-I' reign,  the Pandya Dynasty took control of this place along with this temple. Pandya ruler Kulothunga-I gave donation and grants to meet the expenses for  daily offering of food to the deity (Naivedyam, vennai Kappu (butter kappu) to Lord Shiva.

https://www.findmytemple.com/en/thanjavur/t279-senthalai-meenakshi-sundareswarar

https://wanderingheritager.blogspot.com/2019/08/sri-meenakshi-sundareswarar-temple.html