▁give ▁an ▁external ▁roof . ▁ ▁Pal lava ▁sculpt ors ▁later ▁graduated ▁to ▁free - standing ▁struct ural ▁shr ines ▁which ▁inspired ▁Ch ola ▁tem ples ▁of ▁a ▁later ▁age . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁examples ▁of ▁Pal lava ▁art ▁and ▁architecture ▁are ▁the ▁K ail as an ath ar ▁Temple ▁at ▁Kan ch ip ur am , ▁the ▁Sh ore ▁Temple ▁and ▁the ▁Pan cha ▁R ath as ▁of ▁Mah ab al ip ur am . ▁Ak sh ara ▁was ▁the ▁greatest ▁sculpt or ▁of ▁their ▁time . ▁ ▁P and yan ▁architecture ▁▁ ▁After ▁the ▁close ▁of ▁the ▁Sang am ▁age , ▁the ▁first ▁P and yan ▁emp ire ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁K ad ung on ▁in ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁by ▁defe ating ▁the ▁Kal ab hr as , ▁The ▁emp ire ▁ruled ▁AD ▁ ▁( 6 th ▁– ▁ 1 0 th ▁cent uri y ▁). ▁ ▁Rock ▁cut ▁and ▁struct ural ▁tem ples ▁are ▁significant ▁part ▁of ▁p and yan ▁architecture . ▁The ▁V im ana ▁and ▁mand apa ▁are ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁features ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁P and yan ▁tem ples . ▁Gr oups ▁of ▁small ▁tem ples ▁are ▁seen ▁at ▁Tir uch ira pp al li ▁district ▁of ▁T amil ▁N adu . ▁The ▁Sh iva ▁tem ples ▁have ▁a ▁N and i ▁b ull ▁sculpt ure ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁ma ha ▁mand apa . ▁In ▁the ▁later ▁stages ▁of ▁P andy as ▁rule , ▁fin ely ▁sculpt ured ▁id ols , ▁g op