THE SEVEN PAGODAS. 



109 



old-fashioned temple, built of big stones, nearly half a mile north 

 of No. 53. It is on the way to Saluvankuppam, and in style 

 resembles the Chetty's temple (No. 8), the shore temple (No. 6), 

 and the Olakkannesvara, No. 34. The doorway is on the east 

 side, but is now blocked up by drift sand entered by the roof. 



On the back (west) of the shrine-cell there is the oft-repeated 

 tableau of Siva and Parvati with the child Subrahmanya and 

 their suite of deities. 



The interior of these built stone temples is much like the 

 shrine-cell of the caves, in having a prominent cornice overhang- 

 ing its entrance, moulded and decorated as if for an exterior. 

 These little temples also strongly recall the similar small mega- 

 lithic temples met in (south) Malabar. 



55. The way from No. 54 to the Saluvankuppam sculptured 

 rocks lies for nearly 2 miles to the north-north- east across the 

 bare sand- waste, sprinkled with small pieces of pottery ware, 

 and here and there a mound or sandhill, much like the site of an 

 old native homestead or cluster of houses, and in one spot, 

 near the hamlet of Devaneri, some lines of mounds like the 

 remains of an old enclosure or fort. 



The sculptured rocks lie to the north-east of the hamlet and 

 very near the sea. 



56. The Idaiyan Padal Mandapa. — This is a couple of carved 

 rocks and a shrine front at the south end of the group. The 

 sculptures resemble those on the shore Lion rocks near the ruined 

 Chetty's temple, No. 8J, representing a bare-backed horse, two 

 niches over elephant's faces, a griffin or lion, and a corniced 

 three-cell shrine, embowered in an arc of nine lions' heads. 



57. The Idaiyan Padal ( " Herdsman's screen ") Needle 

 Bock. — This is a very tall natural needle rock, standing nearly 

 erect to a height of about 40 feet. 



Several rows of small lamp niches have been cut high up on 

 the west side, as has been done in No. 26. 



58. Atiranacandesvara, or Atirana Canda Pallava 

 Mandapa. — This is an excavation in one of the largest rocks 

 at the north end of the group, some 300 yards from the Idaiyan 

 Padal rocks at their south end. 



