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தாளகிரீசுவரர் கோயில், பனைமலை About 90 km due west of Pondicherry lies this historic Sivan temple set amongst lush green fields and rocky outcrops. The temple is atop a small hill literally in the middle of nowhere. The location is serene. Built by the great Pallava king Narasimhavarman II also known as Rajasimhan (CE 700- 728), it is one the earliest structural stone temples to be built that is still standing. Rajasimhan also built the better known Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram and the Kailasanathar at Kanchipuram. They were all built around the same time. Heavily vandalized over the centuries, what remains is still truly beautiful. With its large lion motifs, the characteristic Somaskanda relief panel and Sanskrit inscriptions in fluid grantha ( கிரந்தை), it has all the trappings of a Pallava monument. The atmosphere is peaceful and you can appreciate the handiwork of the Pallava stonemasons and sculptors at leisure, far from the maddening crowds. It is indeed a hidden treasure. Thaal means palmyrah and giri means hill in Sanskrit. Panai is Tamil for palmyrah and malai means hill. So Thaalagiri and Panamalai mean the same thing. 1300 years ago the hill must have been full of palmyrah trees. Although the country around has a lot these trees, there aren’t too many on the hill. Although this is an ASI property, it needs better care. It is essentially a dead temple. There is a tribe of monkeys that live on this hill and sometimes bother visitors. Luckily for us, they had left for another hillock nearby that morning to look for food and we did not encounter them. I did not take my big camera up the hill because of the monkeys. They tend to grab things that you carry. The photos were all taken using my iPhone except for the long shot for which I used my Nikon DSLR. It is located about 1.5 hours or 90 km west of Pondicherry near Viluppuram. We visited in May 2023. We were based in Pondicherry. Credits: Google Maps

அதிரணசண்ட பல்லவேஸ்வர குடைவரைக்கோயில், சாளுவன்குப்பம் As you travel south by road from Chennai along the coast, just before you reach Mahabalipuram, you come across a village called Saluvankuppam. On your left, between the East Coast Road and the ocean, lies a popular picnic spot called the Tiger Cave. This site is cared for by the ASI as part of the collection of monuments at or near Mahabalipuram that constitute the UNESCO World Heritage Site there. There is no entry fee except for a small payment for the parking. On weekends, it is thronged by picnic goers. We went on a week day and the place was deserted. This site is home to some interesting monuments and rock inscriptions. The most popular one is the so-called Tiger Cave built by Rajasimhan or Narasimhavarman II in the early 8th century and likely served as an outdoor platform for the king to give audience to his subjects. For some of us, the more interesting monument here is the small and elegant Pallava era cave temple called the Athiranachanda Cave Temple dedicated to Lord Siva. It is believed to have been built by Rajasimhan. Athiranachanda was one of his favourite titles. Although it was built in an era when the Pallavas were already starting to build grand structural temples, it is reminiscent of earlier cave temples built at Mamallapuram itself such as the Mahishasuramardini and Varaha cave temples. The temple is possibly a remnant of a larger structure that has fallen into decay. The cave itself houses a 16 faceted dharalingam. The Pallavas were fond of these types of lingams. There are other classic Pallava elements like a Somaskanda panel in the cave and a small Mahishasuramardini panel on a rock. There is a lingam in the middle of the small stone courtyard in front of the cave that looks a bit incongruous. It likely was housed in a structure that has fallen apart. It is located at Saluvankuppam just north of Mahabalipuram. We visited in August 2017. We were based in Chennai. Credits: Google Maps

கைலாசநாதர் திருக்கோயில், காஞ்சிபுரம் Kanchipuram is a city of temples. They are quite numerous here. This ancient city is one of the oldest cities in India and is well-known as a spiritual and religious centre for centuries. It once served as the capital of the Pallava kings who ruled from this region from the 6th century to the 9th century. Later it was a regional capital of the Cholas when they ruled over the Thondai Mandalam, as this region was called, from the 10th century to the 13th century. So, a lot of history here. The Kailasanathar is perhaps the oldest temple in Kanchipuram and one of the earliest structural temples to be built in the Tamil country. It is a Sivan temple. It was built by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman II or Rajasimhan around 700 CE. It is built of sandstone which is not as durable as granite and is subject to erosion from wind and rain. The vimanam is quite beautiful and is often claimed that this served as an inspiration for Rajarajan to build the massive vimanam in Thanjavur. There are beautiful sculptures throughout the complex. The lion motifs of the Pallavas are found in abundance. It is an inactive or partially active temple these days. It is under the control of the Archeological Survey of India, the ASI and is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is located in Kanchipuram about 2 hours or 76 km southwest of Chennai. Unfortunately I cannot find the photos of the vimanam and outer structures, I took during our visit, My photos do not do justice to the beauty of this temple. We have stuck to our own photos to abide by our strict rule to use only photos that we have taken ourselves. The reader is encouraged to do a brief search on the web to find more photos. We visited in July 2010. We were based in Chennai. Credits: Google Maps