Around 700 AD, construction began on this collection of granite temples facing the Bay of Bengal, hence the name. Because they were structural rather than rock-cut, their design was revolutionary at the time. Miniature shrines and carvings may be found at various points throughout. From December until January, the area in front of the temple hosts a month-long dance.
UNESCO-listed Hindu and Jain temples. Nagara-style temples have tapering, convex towers and extensive interior sanctums. Twenty-five temples survive from 85. (the rest were destroyed in the 13th century). The distant Khajuraho-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express train takes travellers there. The jungle-like remains formerly had lush vegetation.
Madurai is famous for both its poets and its temples and this one can be found on the southern bank of the Vaigai River. Despite its troubled past—it was initially constructed in the sixth century, destroyed in the sixteenth, and then rebuilt to its former glory—the temple's 14 towers and holy pond are still standing.
This Shiva temple, situated on an island off the coast of South India, has been called the "Varanasi of the South" by its devotees. Over 15 acres in size, the complex is home to 1,200 granite columns that form one of the world's largest pillared temple hallways.
This temple's entry tower is a beautiful example of the Tamil (Dravidian) architectural style, which is marked by tall towers and granite pillars carved with yali figures (hippogryphs characteristic of temple architecture). Surpassed initially in size only by Angkor Wat in Cambodia, this temple complex is home to a wealth of Vishnu avatar relief sculptures and halls, as well as 16th-century tower expansions.