Temple building is credited to the dynasty of Pallava, which had established its kingdom with Kanchipuram as the capital city, considered one of the seven sacred cities under Hinduism. In Kanchi, after the Pallavas extended their territory to the north, west and south both within the territory of Tamil, Andhra and Kannada under Emperor Narasimhavarman I, they began to expand their capital city of Kanchipuram and constructed several temples of great splendour.
The Tiru Parameswara Vinnagaram, also known as the Vaikunta Perumal temple and the Kailsahanathar temple, are among the two unique specimens of temple architecture from the period 640-730 AD.
Temple is the first constructed temple built by Narasimhavarman II in South India, and also known as Pallaveswaram Rajasimha. The front façade and the gopuram were completed by his friend, Mahendravarman III. Previous temples, as seen in Mahabalipuram, were either built of wood, or hewn into rock faces in caves or on rocks. The temple was a protected haven during wars for the rulers of the kingdom according to local belief. A hidden tunnel, designed by the kings, was used and is still visible as an escape path. Raja Raja Chola I (985–1014 CE) is believed to have visited the temple and drew inspiration from that temple to build the Temple of Brihadeeswara.
In its original stylized form, the temple retained the Pallava architecture with the influence of the later styles developed by the Chola Dynasty and the Vijayanagara Emperors. Unlike the rock cut architecture built into hollowed caves or carved into rock outcrops, it is of stone crafted architecture. The tall gopuram is to the left and the temple complex is to the right. The foundations of the temple are made of granite which can withstand the temple 's weight, while the superstructure, including the carvings, is all made of sandstone.
The temple complex as it has garbagriha, antarala, mandapa, a high compound wall, and an entrance gate, the gopuram, is complete in every respect. The mandapa was initially detached by interposing an ardhamantapa as part of the main shrine. The mandapa pillars have the repetitive characteristics of legendary lion mounts.
In the walls of the prakara there is a multitude of pictures of Durga, Kartikeya, Bhavati, Tripurantaka, Garudarudha-Vishnu, Asura Samhara, Narasimha, Trivikrama, Shiva Tandava, Shiva cutting off the fifth head of Brahma, desecration of Yagna of Daksha, Brahma and his wife, Gangadhara, Urdhava tandava, Vishnu flanked by Bhudevi and Sridevi, Lingodbhava, Bhikshatana, Ravana, and Vali. Among all images, the image of Ardhanariswara sitting on a bull is considered to be the most notable.
The hall contains Shiva sculptures in the form of Sandhya Tandavamurti and Urdhava Tandvamurti, and the ensemble is completed with images of ganas in dancing poses, as well as images of Brahma , Vishnu, Nandi and Parvati. Shiva's carving on the north wall is a Tripurantaka composition flanked by three ganas, goddess Durga with three ganas, and goddesses Bhairavi, Kaushiki, and Jyestha.
Temple tower has multiple shrines that have the appearance of miniature shrines embodied on all its exterior faces. Those shrines have three features, the styles of sala, kuta and panjara. The entrance wall is decorated with eight small shrines too. In many forms of dance, the 58 small shrines are built into the niches of the compound wall which encloses the main shrine depicting Shiva's Somaskanada reliefs and his consort Parvathi.
