▁of ▁Pal lava ▁temple ▁san ct ums . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁ 4 0 ▁such ▁images ▁of ▁Som ask anda ▁found ▁in ▁different ▁tem ples ▁including ▁the ▁K ail as anth ar ▁temple ▁at ▁Kan ch ip ur am . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁images ▁are ▁attributed ▁to ▁Raj as im ha ▁Pal lava ▁( 7 0 0 - 7 2 8 ▁A . D .), ▁Mah endra ▁Pal lava ▁( 5 8 0 - 6 3 0 ▁A . D .), ▁Nar as im ha ▁Pal lava ▁( 6 3 0 - 6 6 8 ▁A . D .) ▁and ▁Par ames w ara ▁Pal lava ▁( 6 7 0 - 7 0 0 ▁A . D .). ▁ ▁Som ask anda ▁was ▁the ▁principal ▁de ity ▁during ▁Pal lava ▁period ▁replacing ▁ling am , ▁including ▁the ▁tem ples ▁at ▁Mah ab al ip ur am , ▁a ▁UN ES CO ▁world ▁her itage ▁site . ▁ ▁But ▁the ▁cult ▁was ▁not ▁popular ▁and ▁Som ask anda ▁images ▁were ▁re leg ated ▁to ▁sub sh r ines . ▁Sang am ▁literature ▁does ▁not ▁mention ▁Som ask anda ▁and ▁references ▁in ▁literature ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁Te var am . ▁Som ask anda ' s ▁continu ing ▁importance ▁is ▁highlight ed ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁de ity ▁takes ▁prom in ence ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁prime ▁festiv als . ▁ ▁Ch and ikes war ar ▁▁ ▁Ch and ikes war ar ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 3 ▁n