| Shore temple | |
|---|---|
 Shore Temple Complex | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Chengalpattu |
| Location | |
| Location | Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram, Chengalpattu District |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
  Location in Tamil Nadu  Shore Temple (India) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 12°36′59″N 80°11′55″E / 12.61639°N 80.19861°E |
| Architecture | |
| Creator | Narasimhavarman II, Pallava dynasty |
| Completed | 630–668 CE |
The Shore Temple (c. 725 AD) is a complex of temples and shrines that overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is located in Mahabalipuram, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India.[1][2]
It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. At the time of its creation, the site was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Indian Pallava dynasty.[3] As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.[4] It is one of the oldest structural (versus rock-cut) stone temples of Southern India.[3]
- ^ "World Heritage Sites – Mahabalipuram: Group of Monuments Mahabalipuram (1984), Tamil Nadu". Archaeological Survey of India by National Informatics Centre. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "The Shore Temple, Mamallapuram". Onlinenu Library of Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ a b Ching, Frank; Jarzombek, Mark; Prakash, Vikramaditya (2007). A Global History of Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Sons. pp. 274. ISBN 978-0-471-26892-5.
- ^ "Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram". World Heritage. Retrieved 8 February 2007.