Aiyarappar temple, Hindu temple in Thiruvaiyaru, India

Aiyarappar is a Hindu temple in Thiruvaiyaru organized into two main sections called North Kailasa and South Kailasa, both displaying Dravidian architectural style along the Kaveri River banks. Numerous inscriptions throughout the complex document construction and restoration work undertaken by the Chola, Pandya, and later rulers.

The oldest masonry of the temple dates to the 9th-century Chola period, with later work by the Pandyas, Thanjavur Nayaks and Marathas. Queen Ulagamadevi, wife of Raja Raja Chola, rebuilt and stone-clad the North Kailasa section in the late 10th century, while a queen of Rajendra Chola renewed the South Kailasa. Inscriptions record gifts such as 96 goats for lamps and eight silver pots.

The name Aiyarappar comes from ai (five) and aru (river), after the five rivers of the area. In April the Saptasthanam festival brings deities from seven temples in glass palanquins to this temple, where flowers are scattered before they return. A festival also marks Appar's vision of Kailasa here.

The temple sits along the Kaveri River, making a visit pleasant with natural surroundings. Wear comfortable shoes, as exploring the sprawling complex with its two main sections takes time.

The temple chariot built under the Nayaks about 350 years ago decayed, so a replacement was begun in June 2017: 18.75 feet tall in five tiers, 12.9 feet wide, using 60 tonnes of portian wood, 2 tonnes of teak and 2.5 tonnes of iron. Its 750 carvings include Appar's vision of Kailasa and the Saptasthanam festival; it was first rolled out on 11 July 2018.