Chokkanathaswamy temple is one of the oldest temples in the city, dating to the Chola period of the 10th century AD.It is situated in domlur, Bangalore, This temple is dedicated to the deity known as Chokkanathaswamy or Chokka Perumal. The temple stands on a high base and there are several notable sculptures and decorative features in the complex and the temple, Vijayanagara style Navaranga and pillars can also be found here. A Tamil inscription dated 1270 A.D. on a door frame states that the doors were donated by one Alagiyar and another inscription says of donation by one Talaikattu and one more inscription in Kannada dated 1290 A.D. states that Poysala Vira Ramanada made donations to the temple. The temple has been extensively renovated several times. The images of Vishnu, Sridevi and Bhudevi found here was established in Garbhagraha and is carved out of Shaligrama stone brought from Gandaki river, Nepal.
The Inscriptions in the sanctum sanctorum and the Navaranga walls and the name Chokka Perumal, suggests that the temple is of Chola origin, there are some old Grantham scripts to prove it was built by Cholas. The Cholas are credited for bringing Vaishnavisam to Karnataka in the late 10th century and early 11th century. It was the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhan who brought it to the heartland of Gangavadi around 1116. Another interesting feature is the pranic energy felt in the temple. Though the oldest among the three old temples in Bangalore, the other two – Gavi Gangadhareswara and Ulsoor Someshwara are more well known shiva temples.