The Shore temple is located on the beach. If you want to catch a great photograph of the temple then head there for the sunrise. The gates open at 6 am sharp. There is hardly anyone at the temple and you can get some amazing angles without the crowds. It is also a lovely place to sit and enjoy the scenery.

An interesting fact about the Shore temple revolves around the tsunami of 2004. It was at this time that the Shore temple was discovered as a pile of collapsed rocks. The Archeological Survey of India has built a break water wall in order to protect the Shore temple from further damage by the sea. The Shore temple is one of the top things to see in Mahabalipuram and it belongs to a group of Monuments that has been declared as UNESCO Heritage sites.