Atiranachanda Cave

Rock Cut Hindu temple noted for its carvings of tigers. The mouth of the cave forms the entrance to the temple.

This is a giant natural rock perched on a hillside, seemingly in defiance of all laws of physics—it's a common sight to see visitors placing hands under the stone posing for pics, which looks as though they are holding it! The rock provides welcome shade if you dare to sit underneath it, and local kids have discovered that the slippery nearby hillside also makes a great natural slide.

The oldest structure in the area, built c. 700 AD. A Shiva lingam is enshrined in the central building. Unlike Mamallapuram's other monuments, the Shore Temple is a building (not carved from rock) and the bulk of the current structure is a reconstruction after it was struck by a cyclone. It's not particularly large, and the carvings have been badly eroded by the wind and the sea, but this adds to the sense of antiquity. The area around the temple is now a landscaped park, with guards keeping the hordes of souvenir hawkers at bay; despite that, the site can get very crowded on weekends.

This ratha has a Ganesha statue inside it that is being actively worshipped.

Varaha Cave has four impressive carvings of Vishnu, Gakalakshmi, Trivikama and Durga.