Unlike the later Dravidian structures that rose inland with towering gopurams and sprawling mandapas, the Shore Temple stands lean and exposed, right against the Bay of Bengal. The temple was built in the early 700s, during the Pallava reign, and faces east, like many coastal shrines, so the sun hits the sanctum before anything else.
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The structure carries both Shaiva and Vaishnava reliefs, with a reclining Vishnu panel carved directly into the bedrock. Salt-laden winds have scoured the granite surface over centuries, but the core geometry remains precise. This was among the earliest stone-built temples in South India, and also one of the most weather-tested.
