Olakkannesvara Temple (Old Lighthouse)

Built in the late 7th to early 8th century by Pallava king Rajasimha, the Olakkannesvara Temple is a grey granite Dravidian shrine perched on a rocky hillock in Mahabalipuram, overlooking the Coromandel Coast. The temple's name translates to "flame-eyed," a reference to fires once lit on its rooftop terrace to guide ships navigating the Bay of Bengal, making it one of India's earliest known lighthouse structures. Its walls carry carved depictions of Shiva as Dakshinamurti, Nataraja, and the Ravana lifting Kailasa scene.