Shore Temple is located on the shore of Bay of Bengal of Tamil Nadu State of India and so named as Shore Temple. It is a complex temple consisting of three temples out of which one is large and two are small temple. Temple structure was built with blocks of granite during the 8th century. It is one of the oldest stone structures in South India. It was built on a promontory sticking out into the Bay of Bengal at Mahabalipuram, a village south of Chennai. At the time of its creation, the village was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava dynasty.

Sailors gave the name Seven Pagodas to the Shore Temple when they saw this tall structure on the seashore, as the temple probably acted as a landmark for navigation of their ships. As it appears like a Pagoda, the name became familiar to the seafarers. The main shore temple faces east and dedicated to Lord Shiva, second shine is also dedicated to Lord Shiva an third one is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The main Shrine is Five-storied which is pyramidal structure 60 feet high, 50 feet wide and constructed on square platform. The entrance is through a transverse barrel vault gopuram. The temple's outer walls are divided by pilasters into bays, the lower part being carved into a series of rearing lions. The temple walls have large sculptures of Nandi. The temple has sanctorum in which deity, Sivalinga, is enshrined, and a small mandapa surrounded by a heavy outer wall with little space between for circumambulation. At the rear are two shrines facing in opposite directions. The Mamallapuram Dance Festival is held every year during Dec-Jan in Mamallapuram, Chennai.