The Tiger Cave is a rock-cut Hindu temple complex located in the hamlet of

Saluvankuppam Saluvankuppam, also spelt as Salavankuppam or Saluvanakuppam, is a coastal hamlet in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated on the East Coast Road at a distance of 7 kilometres from Mahabalipuram on the Chennai-Mahabalip ...

near

Mahabalipuram Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram, is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is o ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It gets its name from the carvings of

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

heads on the mouth of a cave which forms a part of the complex. The Tiger Cave is considered to be one of the Mahabalipuram rock-cut temples constructed by the

Pallavas The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of South India, the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahanas, Satavahana dynasty, with whom they ...

in the 8th century AD. The site is located on the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...

coast and is a popular picnic spot and tourist destination. The temple is maintained by the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...

(ASI). The discovery of an inscription on a rocky outcrop in the Tiger Cave complex in 2005 led to the excavation of a

Sangam period The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...

Muruga Temple close by.

Architecture

The cave temple is located away from

, a world heritage site for the

Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram is a collection of 7th- and 8th-century CE religious monuments in the coastal resort town of Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of ...

. The rock cut shrine has a flight of steps. It has a small portico flanked by two pilasters which are supported by rampant tigers. All around the entrance, there are images of tigers, leading to the name of Tiger cave. There are two other cells that have elephant heads carved beneath them. Based on the architectural style, the cave is associated with Rajasimha Narasimhavaram II (690–728).

References

External links

Hindu cave temples in India Hindu temples in Kanchipuram district 8th-century Hindu temples 8th-century establishments in India Caves of Tamil Nadu {{Kanchipuram-geo-stub