The Vaikuntha Perumal Temple was built circa 770 CE by the Pallava king Nandivarman II, also known as Pallavamalla. Nandivarman II was a key later Pallava ruler, restoring the dynasty's power after a period of decline. He was a patron of both Vaishnavism and Shaivism. The temple is one of the last major structural temples built by the Pallavas before their decline and the rise of the Cholas.
An inscription in the temple records Nandivarman's reign and his devotion to Vishnu. The temple was later patronised by the Chola, Vijayanagara, and Nayaka rulers, who made additions and renovations. The temple complex was expanded in subsequent centuries with the addition of outer prakarams (enclosures) and gopurams. The temple is maintained by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The Chola additions include a pillared mandapa in the outer courtyard, added during the reign of Raja Raja Chola I in the early 11th century. The Vijayanagara period saw the construction of the main gopuram at the eastern entrance, which replaced the original Pallava gateway. In the 16th century, the Nayakas of Madurai added the outer prakaram and the temple tank. The temple's Pallava core, however, remains remarkably intact, preserving the original 8th-century architectural vision.
The temple underwent a comprehensive restoration in the 1970s, which included the conservation of the Ramayana panels on the vimana walls and the reconstruction of the upper storeys of the three-tiered sanctum.
