This is how Thiruvalluvar actually looked!

Thiruvalluvar Temple is a temple dedicated to the poet-saint Valluvar in the neighborhood of Mylapore in Chennai, India. The temple is located within the Ekambareswarar temple complex. The temple also serves as the venue for meetings of Tamil language enthusiasts.

Legend has it that close to the time of Valluvar's death, Elelasingan, a merchant at Mylapore and the disciple of Valluvar, expressed his desire to place Valluvar's body in a golden coffin and erect a monumental grave. Politely refusing his request, Valluvar asked him to tie his corpse with cords and leave it among the woods outside the town in order for the wild animals to feed on it. Elelasingan reluctantly obliged to his mentor's wishes He then built a small temple on the spot where he left Valluvar's corpse and instituted worship, where it remained for centuries.

In the shrine, the saint is seen with his wife Vasuki. The arch of the temple depicts him reading the couplets to his wife.

In the early 16th century, the present temple was built on the ruins of the old temple. Again in 1970, the temple was vastly renovated, replacing old stones with concrete.

Valluvar is often considered the 64th Nayanmar of the Saivaite tradition by various communities across South India and several temples have the tradition of taking the idol of Valluvar in annual procession. The Valluvar temple at Mylapore, too, follows this tradition.