Mandagapattu Temple
Mandagapattu Tirumurti Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the village of Mandagapattu in the Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. Hewn from rock by the Pallava ruler Mahendravarman I in honour of the trinity Brahma-Shiva-Vishnu, the rock-cut cave temple is the oldest stone shrine discovered and dated in Tamil Nadu. The temple is notable for the earliest known rock-cut Sanskrit inscription written in Grantha script. It is attributed to the Pallava king Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE). The inscription reads: Transliteration into Devanagari script: Translation: Brief History. First of its series of caves excavated  during the Mahendravarman I. In his inscriptions he styles himself as "vichitra chitta (<nowiki>"</nowiki>curious minded")," calls this temple as Lakshitayatna ("The temple of Lakshita") dedicated to the Trimurthi or Trinity. These inscriptions are found in Pallavaram and Tiruchirappalli cave-temples. The temple is dedicated to the Trininty (Brahma, Isvara/Shiva, Vishnu), which is significant to note because most of other caves either are dedicated to Vishnu or Shiva. The temple is also called "ayatana" and it is truly made out of rock cut without using Bricks, Wood, Metal or Mortar of any kind. Facade and Pillars. The  cave was carved on the northern face of the large rock overlooking the irrigation tank to the west of the Mandagapattu village. The facade is cut well deep from the face of the rock, measuring 4feet in bottom and 2feet in the top. There are 2 pillars and 2 pilasters on their northern and inner faces having aspect of almost full pillars, so eventually it does look like 4 pillars in total. Beyond these pilasters on either side of the facades there are two recesses for the "dwara-palas (which matter of fact are not symmetrical)," and each of these  two recesses has another pilaster demarcated into "sadurams and kattus" of uniform tetragonal section. Now these pillars are massive square types with octagonal "kattu" which divides them into cubes or "sadurams" above and below. The lower "saduram" is slightly higher due to its height from the base ("oma)." Mandapa. Right behind the facade, is the "mandapa" separated from the inner mandapa "ardha-mandapa" behind by a row of pillars and pilasters. The floor of the front or "mukha-mandapa" is slightly lower level than that of the "ardha-mandapa." The rock cut are carefully crafted such that the pillars of  the inner mandapa and the ones in the facades are of equal shape and dimension, except the height of the lower "saduram" of the facade, due to slightly raised floor on which these pillars stand upon. Over each of the two rows of the pillars and pilasters there is a principle beam cut also called as "uttira", that over the inner rows slightly thicker than that of the outer row. At either end, cut over the side walls, are two cross beam which, curiously do not go over these principal longittudinal beams or even under them but are one the  same level with them. Over the beams is cut a "vajana", projecting beyond the width of the beam. The ceiling is plain and free of any design or art works.