Kailasanatha Temple

6 architectural marvels to visit in South India  - SilverKris

"Located in Kanchipuram, this is one of the earliest stone temples in South India, built for Shiva by King Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava dynasty between the 7th and 8th centuries. Almost every surface is covered with statues and carvings across a rectangular complex featuring a 16-sided granite Shivalinga in the main shrine, a granite foundation and an ornate pyramidal sandstone vimana surrounded by nine smaller shrines. A local legend says its sheer beauty once deterred invaders; architecturally it is notable for finely chiselled yali (half-human, half-lion) figurines on the outer walls, a hallmark of Pallava grandeur." - Meenakshi J