Rajashekhara (Chera king)

Rajashekhara (c. 7th–8th century CE) is the Chera king counted among the 63 Nayanars — remembered in the Periya Puranam as a devout monarch and the father of Cheraman Perumal Nayanar.

Background

A king of the Chera line (Kerala), Rajashekhara’s devotion is recorded in Sekkizhar’s hagiography; he was the father of Cheraman Perumal, the Chera king-saint who became Sundarar’s companion.

Spiritual Contribution

Counted in the canon of 63; the tradition remembers his patronage of Shaiva worship in the Chera country; his observance is kept in the Nayanar liturgical calendar.

Legacy and Impact

His image stands in the Nayanar friezes; the father-son pair of Chera kings is a distinctive feature of the canon’s royal saints.

Verification notes

• Canon-membership and the father-of-Cheraman relationship are documented in the tradition; details vary among tellings.
• Audited against the canonical Nayanar list (September 2026).