Shore Temple

The majestic Shore Temple (locally known as Alaivay-k-kovil) sits beside the sea in the small town of MamallapuraminTamil Nadu. It is both a rock cut and a free-standing structural temple that stands on a naturally occurring granite boulder. Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram, was an important port town in ancient India and developed as a key artistic centre under the patronage of the Pallava rulers and the Shore temple wasconstructed under the patronage of the Pallava king Nrasimhavarman II Rajasimha, who ascended the throne in 700 C.E. and ruled for about twenty years.The entrance to the temple complex is from the western gateway, facing the smaller Shiva shrine. On each side of the gateway stand door guardians known as dvarapalas who welcome visitors to the complex and mark the site as sacred. The complex consists of three separate shrines: two dedicated to the god Shiva, and one to Vishnu. The Vishnu shrine is the oldest and smallest of the three shrines.The smaller Vishnu temple sits between the two Shiva shrines, connecting the two. It has a rectangular plan with a flat roof and houses a carved image of the god Vishnu sleeping, akin to Anant-Shyan. The large Shiva shrine faces east, and has a square plan with a sanctum and a small pillared porch known as a mandapa. On the back wall of the shrine appear carvings of Shiva (in anthropomorphic or human-like form) with his consort, the goddess Parvati, and their son Skanda. Both Shiva shrines have identical multi-storied pyramidal superstructures typical of the Dravidian style.As an architectural form, the Shore Temple is of immense importance, situated on the culmination of two architectural phases of Pallava architecture: it demonstrates progression from rock cut structures to free standing structural temples, and displays all the elements of mature Dravidian architecture. It signifies religious harmony with sacred spaces dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu, and was also an important symbol of Pallava political and economic strength.According to legend, sailors and merchants at sea could spot the shikharas of the temple from a distance and use those majestic towers to mark their arrival to the prosperous port city of Mahabalipuram.