Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

2271 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Hindu · India

Olakkannesvara Temple

Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu · 12.6167°, 80.1917°

ShivaPallavaDravidian
Sacred since
700 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
early 8th c. (Pallava)
Pallava

History & significance

A stone temple to Shiva perched on the rock above the Mahishasuramardini cave at Mahabalipuram, raised under the Pallava king Rajasimha in the early 8th century. Its walls carry panels of Shiva as Kalantaka, Dakshinamurti, Nataraja and in the Ravananugraha episode.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Pallava