Kalugumalai is a village between Madurai and Kanyakumari in southern Tamil Nadu, and the site of an unfinished rock-cut temple, called Vattuvan Kovil, from the Pandya period (8th or 9th c) and rock-cut Jain relief sculptures. Only the shikhar (tower) of the temple is complete, with only the general shape of the mandapa cut out. I wonder if this work was started with the idea of making a much larger temple than indicated by the current form, since the shikhar could be the top of a much larger temple.

For an introduction to my Tamil Nadu Temple Run trip, visit the first (Chidambaram) post.
The photos in this post also available on flickr.

Vattuvan Kovil

Jain relief sculptures on the same rock-hill as the temple

General view of the rock-hill