About Saluvankuppam Murugan Temple Archaeological Site
The Saluvankuppam Murugan Temple Archaeological Site is an excavated temple complex in Saluvankuppam village near Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. It comprises a Sangam-period brick shrine dating from 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE and an overlying 8th-century Pallava granite temple dedicated to Lord Murugan. Buried under sand for centuries and exposed after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, it was excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India in 2005 and is noted as one of the oldest Murugan shrines discovered.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect an open-air archaeological site with exposed low brick walls of the ancient Sangam-period shrine and the stone foundations and granite elements of the later Pallava temple. The site is located a short distance from the coast near Tiger Cave, with sandy ground, informational signage, and stone inscriptions and sculptures. There is no roofed shrine; the remains are viewed at ground level within a fenced ASI-protected enclosure.
Key highlights
- 01
One of the oldest excavated Murugan temples in Tamil Nadu with two distinct construction phases
- 02
Sangam-period brick temple dated between 3rd century BCE and 3rd century CE
- 03
8th-century Pallava granite temple built over the earlier brick shrine