Sculpture Museum, Mamallapuram

The Sculpture Museum in Mamallapuram holds more than 3,000 sculptures made of stone, wood, metal, brass and cement. Many of the older pieces date from the 7th and 8th centuries and show the work of stone carvers under the Pallava dynasty.

The collection centres on Hindu deities such as Vishnu, Shiva and Durga, along with scenes from mythology. Lions, serpents and elephants, which stand for strength and wisdom in Hindu tradition, appear again and again. The displays also cover the rock-cut temples and monolithic shrines for which Pallava builders are known.