Tiger cave Mahabalipuram

The Tiger Cave is a rock-cut Hindu temple complex located in the hamlet of Saluvankuppam near Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India. It gets its name from the carvings of tiger heads on the mouth of a cave which forms a part of the complex. The Tiger Cave is considered to be one of the Mahabalipuram rock-cut temples constructed by the Pallavas in the 8th century AD. The site is located on the Bay of Bengal coast and is a popular picnic spot and tourist destination. The temple is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

Carved within this entrance were steps that lead to a small pavilion of sorts. This pavilion as you can see, had 2 guardian lions on either side. The tiger caves are dated back to the 7th or 8th century AD. The Pallava dynasty is the ones associated with it. As
per my Golden Chariot guide, these caves were a place where the Pallava kings addressed their audience. According to local guides, the central chamber was where the kings might have sat while the rest of the courtiers and audience surrounded the place.