Architecture found in Ancient Indian Temples showcases the country's old, rich and splendid culture. These temples (some dating to more than 1700 years old) display intricate carving and sculptures, which bear testimony to the craftsmanship and creativity of the artisans, sculptors and artists of Ancient India.
» Kancheepuram is known as one of India's Seven sacred cities. Sri Varadharaja Swamy temples of unique architectural beauty bearing eloquent testimony to its glorious Dravidian heritage. Kanchipuram is a major tourist attraction and draws visitors regularly from abroad.
» Sri Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram. Presently under the protective care of The Archaeological Survey of India, a Department under the Government of India, this temple is known to be more than 1700 years old.
» Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) also close to Chennai (Madras) is on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, along the eastern coast. Mamallapuram known for its rocks carvings and monolithic sculptures has the famous shore temple, the only one to have survived the ravages of nature. Also known as the Seven Pagodas, six now lie submerged in the sea.
» Belur and Halabid in Karnataka, South India are the glorious towns of the former Hoysala empire. The imposing Hoyasaleswara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva is today the center of attraction here.
» The Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, also forms part of the Chola period Architecture. This ancient temple is unique because it is devoted solely to the art of Bharatanatyam, where Lord Shiva is depicted by an idol rather than the customary Lingam.
» Brahadeeswara Temple at Tanjore (Thanjavur), dedicated to Lord Shiva, also called the Big Temple, belongs to the architecture of the Chola period. Built in the 10th Century A.D., by Raja Raja Chola, the Temple Tower is capped by an 81.3 tonnes round monolithic cupola. This enormous piece of stone is said to have been was moved into position by moving it along an inclined plane 6 kms. long.
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