Mahabalipuram’s “Seven Pagodas” and Submerged Structures

Record summary

Mahabalipuram is associated with the tradition of the Seven Pagodas, in which a group of temples was said to stand along the coast before being submerged. Tsunami and coastal surveys have identified submerged structural and stone remains offshore, while the surviving Shore Temple and Pallava monuments provide archaeological context. The evidence does not establish that seven complete temples were swallowed in one event. This lead matters for comparing local historical tradition, coastal geomorphology, and underwater archaeology, with the story’s form shaped by later transmission and colonial-era attention.