1. Silambu - A Non Hindu Text - No one dated it beyond 5th AD - Clearly states it as a vishnu temple2. Mudhal Azhwars - Max date - 7th AD - Both the other indic religions at their peak and about to decline - Clearly mention the physical attributes, Standing Postures and the scenic beauty of the hill.3. Epigraphs - Though starts from Samavai - engraved on the wall - recopied later - clearly shows the existence of the temple before4. Ilamkoil - which has epigraphs prior to Samavai - is the place where the annual utsavas were held. The Ilamkoil is in Thiruchhuganur but the inscriptions in Ilamkoil clearly mention " Thiruvengadathu Nindraruliya Peruman adigal" - Danti, Parantaga all call him the same. Where as the other epigraphs in Tiruchanur Siva temple - call Thiruchchuganur. 5. Sembian Madevi - Gifted a Gem studded jewel to the moorti in the Hill temple. 6. Rajendra Calling the Administrators during his camp and checking the status of Poojas in the hill temple - recorded in Kapileswarar temple7. Kulothunga 1 - 4 inscriptions - In one an offering of plaon rice and curd rice. No ghost of chance that he disturbed the poojas.8. Still - beacuse of the terrain more people could not reach the hill temple and the utsavas were held at Ilamkoil. Ramanuja put an end to do that by sending his relative. He developed the place more hospitable. What happened to all the bhudhist temples? A Good question. I have written last week that a Valisvaram near Tiruvallore., close to highway, with 2 prakaras and 8 epigraphs recorded in 1952 -disappeared without a trace One More Valisvaram - Kundrathur is in the final stages.The Ambattur Sivan temple - fighting for the survival.If this is the case of Hindu temple, the temples without patronage would have disappeared like that. There are Many old Jain temples in TN - still under worship/good maintenance. What happened to Nagappattinam Soolamani Viharam - A Sensitive issue.We cannot build things on Hypothesis but on solid evidences, as long as these evidences are available. With regard to Lions on Tirumala Walls, I have shown a simillar Lions in - Rajendra Vinnagar, Seranmadevi. Vishnu temples did have Lions instead of Garudas. Sending those images again.Tiruthangal - Pandya Country- where Vishnu Moortis are still Wood or Sudai have the same posture like Tirumala. Tiruthangal temple refered by Mudal Azhwars and the place ( not the temple) referred in Silambu.Tirumogur Vishnu also in the same form, referred by later azhwars.Thiruneermalai - Mualazhwars. Lord looks simillar to Tirumala - except the right hand is in Abaya pose.Hence there are many Vishnu moortis with the so called Bodisatva posture. Vishnu with 2 hands and the statement that only Kushana Images have 2 hands -- The Moolavar of Thiruvanvandoor - a Divyadesam in Kerala - Image with 2 hands enclsoed. It is not right to say that Visnu images dont have only 2 hands.Most of the sayana Vishnu images have only 2 arms. I will search more next week end and postregardssankar