Vallam is a small village situated near Chengalpattu, located 2 km from the latter on the Chengalpattu-Mamallapuram road. This otherwise insignificant settlement is famous for its cave-temples. The earliest antiquity of the village goes back to the Pallava period when three cave-temples were excavated on the eastern face of a low hill. In a thirteenth century inscription, belonging to the later Pallavas, the village is referred as Vallam situated in Vallam-nadu, the latter was part of Kalattur-kottam.
Cave-temple No 1 (Vasantesvaram Cave-temple) – This is the uppermost and the largest excavation on this hill. The plan consists of an ardha-mandapa and a central shrine in the rear. The front facade is supported on two pillars and two pilasters. Pillars have cubical base and top (saduram) and an intervening octagonal section (kattu). Pilasters follow the pillars in design. Corbel above the pillars is with curved profile.
Cave Temple No 3 – This cave-temple is the northmost among the group. Its front facade has no pillars. Heavy and curved profile corbel is supported on two side pilasters, both tetragonal throughout. Mortise-holes above the cornice suggest that there was once a structural mandapa in front of the cave.
Cave Temple No 2 – This cave-temple is excavated just below the previous shrine. It has a narrow mandapa followed by a cell in the rear wall. The facade is devoid of pillars, curved profile corbel is supported on its side pilasters. The cell entrance is flanked by niches housing dvarapalas.
