The Shore Temple is a structural temple built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD built on a promontory sticking out into the Bay of Bengal at Mamallapuram, a tiny village south of Chennai [60 kms] in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The village was a busy port during the 7th and 8th century reign of the Pallava dynasty. The site is famous for the rock-cut caves and the sculptured rock that line a granite hill, including one depicting Arjuna's Penance as well as for other temples in the area. It has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Shore Temple is a five-storied rock cut structural Hindu temple rather than monolithic as are the other monuments at the site. It is the earliest important structural temple in Southern India. Its pyramidal structure is 60 ft high and sits on a 50 ft square platform. There is a small temple in front which was the original porch. It is made out of finely cut local granite.
The temple has a garbhagriha in which the deity, Sivalinga, is enshrined, and a small mandapa surrounded by a heavy outer wall with little space between for circumambulation. At the rear are two shrines facing opposite directions. The inner shrine dedicated to Ksatriyasimnesvara is reached through a passage while the other, dedicated to Vishnu, faces the outside. The outer wall of the shrine to Vishnu and the inner side of the boundary wall are extensively sculptured and topped by large sculptures of Nandi. The temple's outer walls are divided by plasters into bays, the lower part being carved into a series of rearing lions. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here under the sand. Goddess Durga is seated on her lion vahana. A small shrine may have been in the cavity in the lion's chest.
