This Periya Puranam is a Part of the large corpus of Shaiva canonical works. It was compiled by Sekkizhar, who was both poet and the chief Minister in the court of the chola king, kulothunga II or Anabhayacholan. The King himself was a staunch devotee of Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram. As minister Sekkizhar had complete access to information on the lives of the Shaivite saints or Nayanmars. Sekkizhar used the data and put together the periya puranam.