▁tem ples ▁in ▁Mah ab al ip ur am ▁and ▁their ▁capital ▁Kan ch ip ur am , ▁now ▁located ▁in ▁T amil ▁N adu . ▁ ▁Pal lava ▁art ▁and ▁architecture ▁represent ▁an ▁early ▁stage ▁of ▁D rav id ian ▁art ▁and ▁architecture ▁which ▁bl oss omed ▁to ▁its ▁full est ▁extent ▁under ▁the ▁Ch ola ▁D ynast y . ▁The ▁first ▁stone ▁and ▁mort ar ▁tem ples ▁of ▁South ▁India ▁were ▁constructed ▁during ▁Pal lava ▁rule ▁and ▁were ▁based ▁on ▁earlier ▁brick ▁and ▁tim ber ▁pro tot ypes . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁examples ▁of ▁Pal lava ▁constru ctions ▁are ▁rock - cut ▁tem ples ▁d ating ▁from ▁ 6 1 0 ▁– ▁ 6 9 0 ▁CE ▁and ▁struct ural ▁tem ples ▁between ▁ 6 9 0 ▁– ▁ 9 0 0 ▁CE . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁rock - cut ▁cave ▁tem ples ▁bear ▁the ▁ins cription ▁of ▁the ▁Pal lava ▁king , ▁Mah endra var man ▁I ▁and ▁his ▁success ors . ▁The ▁greatest ▁accomplish ments ▁of ▁the ▁Pal lava ▁architecture ▁are ▁the ▁rock - cut ▁Group ▁of ▁Mon uments ▁at ▁Mah ab al ip ur am ▁at ▁Mah ab al ip ur am , ▁a ▁UN ES CO ▁World ▁Heritage ▁Site , ▁including ▁the ▁Sh ore ▁Temple . ▁This ▁group ▁includes ▁both ▁exc av ated ▁p illa red ▁h alls , ▁with ▁no ▁external ▁roof ▁except ▁the ▁natural ▁rock , ▁and ▁mon ol ith ic ▁shr ines ▁where ▁the ▁natural ▁rock ▁is ▁entirely ▁cut ▁away ▁and ▁car ved ▁to