The Venkataramana Temple is located at Gingee in
Viluppuram District. This temple, the largest in Gingee, was built in the 16th century by Muthialu Nayaka, a later king of the Vijayanagar period. The marvelous sculptures and carved pillars here illustrate the artistic excellence of the Nayakas. The temple abounds in towers, pavilions and sculptured panels depicting scenes from the Hindu scriptures. Ancient Tamil inscriptions are also found on these walls.
The French occupation of these regions in the late 18th century marked the ruin of Venkataramana and other neighboring temples. Subsequent invaders also plundered and destroyed most of this acheological wealth.
