The Vaikunta Perumal Temple in Kanchi, a village in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.

The process of democratically electing the local representatives through a system called Kudavolai during the Chola regime is documented in the inscriptions.

[3][4] The temple is known for the inscriptions indicating the democratic practises of electing representatives for the village bodies during the regime of Parantaka Chola.

[2][5] The region and the village went under the sway of Pandyas during the 13th century and subsequently to the Telugu Chola ruler Vijaya Gandagopala.

During the later period, the village switched hands to Pallava chieftains, Telugu Cholas, Samburavarayars and finally Kumara Kampana.

[6] As per another view, the entire structure was originally an assembly hall and it collapsed during the regime of Kulothunga Chola.

Parantaka Chola readily acceded to their demand and instituted the Kudavolai system (ballot) of democratically electing the village representatives.

The villagers assembled at a common place and wrote the name of their preferred representative in a palm leaf and put it in a pot.