Tiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu. Once a hub of royal patronage and the capital of the Pallavas, it is a seventh-century attraction, with its four rock-cut cave temples.
The caves contain Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and cave paintings of their time.
The caves have a typical Mahendravarman style, with a cubical top and bottom, and an octagonal middle. The top and the bottom have lotus medallions. Behind the first row of pillars is another row of pillars and pilasters, which gives it an ardha mandapa and mukha mandapa structure. The cell inside is empty. The platform constructed for the deity is empty and has a square cavity, suggesting that its work remains unfinished.