Not sure whether this has been discussed already and dont remember either....
We have discussed that Parantaka I was the one who made the roof of Chidambaram temple 'Gold'. I came across Appar's padigam in which he mentions 'sem ponninal ezhidhi meynda'...meaning the temple had golden roof during Appars period itself. The padigam says that 'pon meyndha' was first done by Deva's.
So even before Parantaka I chidambaram had golden roof and may be Parantaka I repaired or replenished the golden roof.
I have 'Thevaram - varalaatru muraiyil moolamum uraiyum' by pulavar .P. Ra . Natarasan...he mentions that even before Parantaka I, deva;s laid golden roof.
Siddharthapuri became Chidambaram..thiru chittar ambalam..the high seat of Buddhist learning. The golden roof for the Hall was made even then.The Pallava King, King Rajasimha, erected a golden pagoda in Nagapattinam which Thirumangai Alwar desecrated to add the gold to Srirangam temple. R. Narasimhan
There are several Kulothunga period inscriptions avl.
Vijayanagara structures also there.
As mentioned earlier - an extensive study has been made and written and published by Shri.B. NATARAJAN (former GM /Southern Railways) son of Shri. SR Balasubramanian in his Book called THILLAI.
Simhavishnu or Avanisimha, the son of Simhavarman and thefather of Mahendravarman I, was the first Pallava monarch who extended his dominions beyond Kanchi in the South. He has not left any stone or copper-plate inscriptions, but is known only through the records of his successors. His territory may be said to have extended as far south as the river Kaveri, which is referred to in a record of Mahendravarman I at Trichinopoly as âthe beloved of the Pallavaâ.[4] Simhavishnu must have bequeathed this extensive dominion intact to his son and successor as evidenced by the latterâs inscriptions at Trichinopoly (Nos. 8 and 9) and in the Pudukkottai State (Nos. 7 and 7-a) During the reign, however, of his son Narasimhavarman II Rajasimha, which was comparatively free from any political disturbance, great progress was made in the direction of temple building. Among the monuments that owe their origin to him may be mentioned the Kailasanatha and the Airavatesvara temples at Kanchi, the âShore Templeâ at Mahabalipuram and the Talapurisvara temple at Panamalai (No. 29). An interesting tradition connected with the construction of the Kailasantha temple is contained in an inscription[16] found therein, which refers to a celestial voice heard by the king. This is evidently an allusion to the story in the Periyapuranam[17] wherein it is stated that the Pallava king was directed to postpone the consecration of this temple, so that the Lord might be present elsewhere at a similar ceremony conducted in the mental plane by Saint Pusalar. Narasimhaâs queen, Rangapataka also, raised a small shrine in the same temple.[18] In the Kasakudi plates of Nandivarman Pallavamalla,[19] Rajasimha is said to have bestowed his wealth on temples and Brahmanas. He is further credited with the construction of the Buddhist Vihara at Negapatam, which is commonly known as âChina-pagoda.[20]â