Dawn of Dravidian Stone Architecture

The Kailasanathar Temple (formally Rajasimheshwara Temple) is the oldest structural temple in Kanchipuram and one of the most important in the evolution of Dravidian architecture. Built by Pallava king Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimha) between 685 and 705 CE, it marks the transition from rock-cut to free-standing stone temples — a revolutionary moment in South Indian architectural history.

Unlike the later granite temples of the Cholas, the Kailasanathar is built primarily of sandstone, giving it a warmth of colour and a softness of carving that differs markedly from the harder lines of granite monuments. The main vimana rises three storeys, crowned with an octagonal dome, and the sanctum houses a massive Shiva lingam.

The 58 Shrines

The temple's most distinctive feature is the circumambulatory passage, enclosed by a compound wall that contains 58 miniature shrines (now empty). Each shrine once held a separate Shiva lingam, making the Kailasanathar a cosmic diagram — a walk around the temple was a symbolic journey through the Shiva cosmos. The passage walls carry some of the most refined Pallava sculptures in existence, including magnificent panels of Shiva as Nataraja, as Tripurantaka (destroyer of the three cities), and in his rarely depicted gentle form as Dakshinamurti (teacher of yoga).

Influence

The Kailasanathar Temple directly influenced the famous Kailasa Temple at Ellora — the Rashtrakuta king who commissioned Ellora's rock-cut masterpiece is believed to have seen this temple during a campaign against the Pallavas. The Kanchi Kailasanathar thus holds a position of quiet but immense importance in the history of Indian architecture.