What the Meenakshi Amman Temple is to Nayak religious architecture, Tirumalai Nayak's crumbling palace is to the secular. Although it’s said to be only a quarter of its original size, its massive scale and hybrid Dravidian-Islamic style still testify to the lofty aspirations of its creator. You enter from the east – a large courtyard surrounded by tall columns topped with fancy stucco work leads through to the grand throne chamber with its 25m-high dome; two stone-carved horses frame the steps up.
