At the time of its creation, the site was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Indian Pallava dynasty.

[2] Even though the architectural creation of sculpturing cut-in and cut-out structures continued during subsequent periods, as seen in the Atiranachanda cave, the Pidari rathas and the Tiger cave, the main credit for the architectural elegance of the Shore Temple complex in the category of structural temples goes to the King Rajasimha (700–28 AD), also known as Narasimhavarman II, of the Pallava Dynasty.

[6] The tsunami of December 2004 that struck the coastline of Coromandel exposed an old collapsed temple built entirely of granite blocks.

The tsunami also exposed some ancient rock sculptures of lions, elephants, and peacocks that used to decorate walls and temples during the Pallava period during the 7th and 8th centuries.

Built with sculpted granite stones hauled from a nearby quarry, it is the earliest important structural temple in South India.

The two shikharas have a pyramidal outline, each individual tier is distinct with overhanging eaves that cast dark shadows.

The temple's outer walls are divided by pilasters into bays, the lower part being carved into a series of rearing lions.

[11] The temple has a garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) in which the deity, Sivalinga, is enshrined, and a small mandapa surrounded by a heavy outer wall with little space between for circumambulation.

[5] Beneath the towers, the sanctuary walls are mostly blank without any decorations but the columns are carved over lion mounted bases.

[5] A bas-relief, which is a family image of Shiva and his consort Parvati with their child Kartikeya built over a stone slab is located in a small shrine in the temple.

kudus (horseshoe-arch dormer like projections) and small shrines are part of the cornices at both levels of the structure.

Inscription noted in Pallava Grantha script is on the lintel indicating it as the earliest shrine of the complex.

[5] The entire compound wall surrounding the temples is sculpted with large sculptures of Nandi, the vehicle or mount of Shiva, and also with Yalis and Varahas (boars).

[5] In 1990, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) discovered a miniature shrine with the Bhuvaraha image in a well type enclosure.

[18] The shikhara is erected on a circular griva, which has kudus and maha-nasikas on its four sides and each nasika has an image of Ganesha.

This image is in unusual form, unlike another Varaha depictions in other regions of the country, as there is no Bhudevi shown nor an ocean.

The depiction is in the form of Varaha performing a diving act into the ocean to rescue Bhudevi or mother earth.

The wall that surrounds the shrine to prevent intrusion of sand from the sea also has an inscription on the topmost layer, in Pallava-Grantha script, which equates the king with Arjuna.

[5] The temple structures, affected by rough Sea and winds with salt content are being conserved by the Archaeological Survey of India by building protective groynes, treatment with wall paper pulp, and by planting casuarina trees along the affected coast line.

This kind of treatment is also reported to take out water stored inside the rock thus allowing the stone to breathe and preserve its strength.

The horticulture wing of the ASI has created a green lawn of 11 acres (4.4 hectares) around the Shore Temple.

Fixing of signages with information on the monuments and creating fountains was also part of the beautification programme planned by ASI.

Exponents of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Odissi, Mohini Attam and Kathakali perform against this magnificent backdrop of the Pallava rock sculptures.