Mahishasuramardini Cave Temple

This 7th-century cave temple in Mamallapuram, also known as Yampuri, dates from the reign of the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I (630 to 668 AD), called Mamalla, after whom the town is named. It is one of the monuments that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Mahabalipuram. Its columns rest on seated lions, a feature of the transitional Pallava style.

The best-known panel, on the north wall, shows the goddess Durga fighting Mahishasura, the buffalo-headed demon whom the gods could not defeat on their own. Other carvings show Vishnu lying on the serpent Shesha, and a Somaskanda panel shows Shiva with Parvati and their son Skanda.