The Pallavas were a large sea empire that conquered and ruled territories as far as South-east Asia (similar to the Chola empire who were also from Tamil Nadu) and used the lion as their political symbol.
They wrote in the ancestral language to both Tamil and Malayalam which, according to the tour guide in Mamallapuram, was called the "Bali script."
One of their cities, called "Mamallapuram"; because it was named after the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I (also known as "Mamalla"); and it is known for amazing examples of large and magnificent structures which are over a thousand years old.
This place still exists in Tamil Nadu with it's structures well-preserved by the ASI (the Archaeological Society of India)
A few examples of these structures are the lighthouse built for their port in Mamallapuram for the Pallavas, the famous Shore temple by the coast, gravity-defying rocks (I'm not kidding), and ancient temples with Bali script inscribed on some parts of their stones.
An interesting fact about this lighthouse is that it used oil lamps and it was later replaced by a new lighthouse built near it by the British empire.
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