In India, temples are chaotic spaces. While devotion is evident everywhere, serenity is hard to find amidst the fevered voices, jostling crowds, loud prayers and clanging bells. But the Kailasanathan temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, is everything the gigantic and popular temples are not: it is charming, quiet and sought after by devotees of Lord Shiva who want to experience divinity.

This temple is a splendid example of early South Indian architecture and is a marvellous edifice to Lord Shiva's glory. Built by the Pallava King Narasimhavarman II, known as Rajasimha Pallavain, in the late 7th century the temple was eventually completed by his son Mahendran.

By the time I reached the Kailasanathan temple, the evening sun was overshadowed by the rain clouds gathering overhead. The temple was empty and I was immediately struck by the appearance of the aged sandstone walls. Time seemed to have taken a sand-paper and smoothed away all rough edges on the visible surfaces.

Here, instead of the size, it is the design of the temple that overwhelms. Inside the temple complex, on the wall that runs around the perimeter, are shrine-like recesses that are hidden from view. Meditation rooms, whispered the priest who was showing me around. But as amazing as the idea of secretive alcoves behind sculptured pillars was, I was more captivated by the sight of the painted frescos that adorned the internal walls. Paintings of Lord Shiva in his varied forms popped out from between peeling walls.

As I walked around the temple I sensed mythology greeting me from each wall. Shiva depicted as the great Nataraja, Shiva in a dance contest with his wife Parvati, Shiva one leg outstretched to the sky and the other slaying a demon; the brown sandstone, now plastered over in places, is still magical and reveals the dexterity of the craftsmen who have lovingly adorned every inch of this temple. Not only the boundary walls but also the sanctum complex is decorated with exquisite sculptures.

Climbing up seven steps, we reached the mammoth 10-foot-high Shiva Lingam, surrounding which is a secret circumambulatory passage. To enter the passage one has to crawl in on all fours, then walk around till the exit, where once again he needs to crawl out on his belly. This is symbolic of the way we come and depart from this world. Going around the Shiva Lingam via this passage is said to release a human being from the cycle of re-birth and this is the primary reason why many faithful devotees visit the temple.

The Kailasanathan temple is a part of the Indian heritage that has for years been left untouched by humans. While the positive outcome of that is a free-standing temple that documents architecture, history and culture of a certain era, the negative has been a deterioration of the temple premises which has resulted in the loss of the magnificent frescos painted with natural vegetable dyes. But the temple is nevertheless a fantastic occasion to have a tête-à-tête with Lord Shiva, minus the crowds.