English: A 2-D print of the early 7th-century Pallava Grantha script, Sanskrit inscription at the Mandakapattu Tirumurthi temple.

For a 3-D photo: see

Mandagapattu is a small agriculture-based village few kilometers east of a modern highway in Tamil Nadu. It preserves an important 7th-century Hindu temple, significant to the history of architecture and writing scripts of South India. Dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, it includes a Sanskrit inscription in Grantha script which states that it is first rock cut cave temple made without "wood, brick, metal or mortar". The temple is credited to the Pallava king Mahendravarman I. The three sanctum temple faces north, has two pillars and two pilasters. It has an ardha mandapa and a mukhya mandapa as recommended by the ancient shilpa shastras. The statues inside each sanctum are missing (the sockets which held these are still present). In the front are two dvarapalas. These rock-cut door guardian reliefs show some 7th-century cultural aspects such as dress, jewelry and weapons. They wear tall, conical decorated headgear, a style that is found in numerous carvings and statues between the 7th- and 16th-century South Indian temples (later adopted by Vijayanagara Hindu kings, royalties as well as Islamic sultans and nawabs).

The pilaster near the western dwarapala has the famous Sanskrit inscription in Grantha script (above). There is another minor inscription on the floor. The temple is simple and the pillar attests to the early Pallava style design.