India: The Olakkannesvara Temple situated above the Mahishasuramardini mandapa, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

The Olakkannesvara Temple ('flame eye'; commonly Olakkanatha; also known as, 'the Old Lighthouse'), was built during the reign of the Pallava dynasty king Rajasimha in the 8th century CE.

The Mahishasuramardhini mandapa (Cave Temple; also known as Yampuri) is an example of Indian rock-cut architecture dating from the Pallava dynasty of the late 7th century CE.

Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram (Tamil: மாமல்லபுரம்) is an ancient historic town and was a bustling seaport from as early as the 1st century CE.

By the 7th Century it was the main port city of the South Indian Pallava dynasty. The historic monuments seen today were built largely between the 7th and the 9th centuries CE.

Copyright:

CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Photographer:

Rainer Krack

Credit:

Pictures From Asia