Rear panels of the shrines
Look for Shiva with Uma and Skanda. The family image gives a devotional focus to the sculptural programme.
Kanchipuram
Temple Circuit · reading guide · 8 September 2026Kailasanathar makes Shiva’s many forms the focus of a close visit. The ASI submission to UNESCO attributes the temple to Pallava king Rajasimha, whose reign was 700–728 CE.
Kailasanathar makes Shiva’s many forms the focus of a close visit. Look for Somaskanda: Shiva with Uma and Skanda. The enclosing miniature shrines create a sequence of sacred images around the principal sanctuary.
The ASI submission to UNESCO attributes the temple to Pallava king Rajasimha, whose reign was 700–728 CE. Observe the sandstone construction above a granite base and the smaller shrines around the enclosure. This temple is on India’s UNESCO Tentative List; it is not an inscribed World Heritage Site.
Allow time for worship and the discoveries below. Follow posted access and photography rules.
Rear panels of the shrines
Look for Shiva with Uma and Skanda. The family image gives a devotional focus to the sculptural programme.
Miniature shrines along the enclosure
Follow the changing forms of Shiva and notice sandstone above the granite base. Do not assume the narrow inner passage is open.