Thirumayam Fort – Pudukkottai

Thirumayam Fort, located about 18 kilometres from Pudukottai, stands as a site of immense historical significance. Today, the Archaeological Survey of India supervises the fort, thereby ensuring its preservation as an important heritage monument.

Facts about Thirumayam Fort

• The Raja of Ramnad, Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi, built Thirumayam Fort in 1687 AD.
• Later, he handed over the fort to his brother-in-law, Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman.
• The fort was originally constructed in a circular layout with seven concentric walls surrounded by a wide moat. However, only four of these walls survive today.
• Currently, the fort occupies an area of about 40 acres, although the original structure was nearly twice its present size.
• In 2012, authorities carried out extensive renovations, after which the fort emerged as one of the prominent tourist attractions in Pudukkottai District.
• The fort features three main entrances, located on the north, south, and east sides.
• At the top of the rock, a bastion houses a cannon of British origin, adding to the fort’s military legacy.
• On the opposite side of the rock, visitors can find three rock-cut temples—two dedicated to Lord Shiva and one dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
• Additionally, the fort complex includes a Durbar Hall with carved inscriptions, a pillared corridor, shrines for guardian deities such as Lord Hanuman, Ganapathi, Karuppar, and Goddess Sakthi (towards the southern side), a natural pond on the northwest side, and a water tank on the southeast.
• Within the temple complex, devotees worship Lord Shiva in the form of Bhairava.

Fort Timings

The fort remains open to visitors from 6:00 AM to 12:00 noon and again from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

How to Reach Thirumayam Fort

Thirumayam Fort is located in Thirumayam along the Pudukkottai–Karaikudi Highway in Pudukkottai District. Moreover, Pudukkottai town enjoys good road connectivity with major cities across Tamil Nadu.

The nearest railway station is Pudukottai, situated about 19 kilometres away. Furthermore, the closest airport is located in Trichy, approximately 67 kilometres from the fort.