THE SEVEN PAGODAS. 



107 



niche (as at Saluvankuppam) ; and the other carved into a single 

 griffin's mouth and jaws encircling another little niche. 



The lion in this locality generally performs the office of guard 

 or protector, performed in other places by the friendly Naga. 



6. The Shore Temple. — This structural temple is from 250 to 

 300 yards north-north east from the Chetty's temple (No. 8) and 

 from the sculptured rocks on the shore near it. It stands on a 

 slight headland of natural rocks, just half a mile east from the 

 east foot of the main group of rocks near No. 15, and consists 

 of a larger stone-built shrine of Siva under a gracefully tall 

 spire, capped by an octagonal dome and finial, and surrounded 

 by a high, solid, and ornamental screen wall about 40 feet square 

 built of large stones. 



The shrine cell doorway and the entrance in the screen wall 

 are directly to the east, immediately over the steps leading down 

 to the rocks on which the sea is constantly breaking. 



At the back (west) of the screen wall there is a second and 

 smaller shrine under a lower spire, opening to the west, but 

 without any enclosing wall now. 



Both these shrines contain the tableau of Siva, ParvatT, 

 Subrahmanya, and their suite of deities ; but in the smaller shrine 

 there is no lingam remaining. Several lions adorn the terraces of 

 these spires, and a single bull (Nandl) is in position over the 

 entrance to the smaller shrine. A small flat-roofed cell or cham- 

 ber has also been built out from the back (west) of the screen wall 

 and alongside the smaller Vimana or spired shrine, containing 

 the image of Vishnu (Narayana) lying at full length, with head 

 to south, but apparently without the Naga canopy and couch 

 which the similar figure has in the Mahisha-mardini sculpture 

 No. 32. The latter, however, may have been hidden by sand and 

 so have escaped notice. 



7. Mahishasura Eock. — About 100 yards to the north of the 

 Shore temple (No. 6) a sculptured rock, with a niche in it, is to 

 be seen, surrounded by the sea at high water. The sculptured 

 figures of Mahishasura and the rest could not be made out at all 

 clearly on the occasion of my visit. 



10 and 11. After examining the shore temple (No. 6) and the 



