The oldest surviving structure in Kanchipuram and one of the finest examples of early Pallava temple architecture in India. Built in sandstone around 700 CE by King Rajasimha, the temple is smaller and more intimate in scale than the great later temples of the city — a quality that makes it, for many visitors, the most rewarding of all.
The design centres on a compact inner courtyard lined with small subsidiary shrines, each containing a carved deity. The main sanctum's shikhara is elegantly proportioned, and the sandstone has weathered to a warm ochre that feels very different from the whitewashed later temples. Carvings of Shiva, Durga, Vishnu, and other deities cover the outer walls in good condition.
Because the temple is under Archaeological Survey of India management, there are no resident priests and none of the commercial pressure common at active pilgrimage temples. You can move at your own pace and examine the carvings without interruption.
Arrive in the morning before the heat builds. The temple is about 2 km west of the town centre; auto-rickshaws find it easily.