The Shore Temples are situated at Mahabalipuram, a coastal village 50 km south of Chennai. They were built in the 7th century, during the reign of Rajasimha. They depict the final flowering of Pallava art. These temples are refreshingly uncluttered, unlike later grandiose Dravidian architecture and tower over the waves behind a protective breakwater. The temple with its beautiful polygonal dome enshrines Lord Vishnu and Shiva.