| Govindaraja Swamy temple | |
|---|---|
Thiruchitrakoodam | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Cuddalore District |
| Deity | |
| Location | |
| Location | Chidambaram |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
  Location in Tamil Nadu | |
| Geographic coordinates | 11°23′58″N 79°41′36″E / 11.39944°N 79.69333°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Tamil architecture |
The Govindaraja Perumal Temple, also called Thiruchitrakoodam, is a temple situated in Chidambaram, a town in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, the temple is inside the premises of the Thillai Nataraja Temple, constructed in the Dravidian architecture. The temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Govindaraja Perumal and his wife Lakshmi as Pundarikavalli Thayar.
Also significant as a major shrine of Shiva worship since the classical period, there have been several renovations and offerings to Chidambaram by the Pallava, Chola, Pandya, Vijayanagara, and Chera royals in the ancient and pre-medieval periods. The temple as it stands now is mainly of the 12th and 13th centuries, with later additions in similar style.
The Govindaraja idol is believed to have been uprooted outside the temple complex during the period of Kulothunga Chola II. The Govindaraja idol was later found and reinstated by the king Krishnappa Nayak (1564–1572).
Six daily rituals and two major yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Chittirai festival, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March–April), is the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.