According to historian S. Padmanabham, the best explanation for this co-existence of early Jaina and Hindu iconography within the same temple is not conflict, but of "religious integration" cherished by the Tamil culture, something seen in other Hindu and Jain monuments. The three sanctums are dedicated to Jaina, Vaishnava and Shaiva deities, which cannot be explained as conversion of Jaina temple by some Hindu tradition, either Vaishnava or Shaiva, since the victor would normally emphasize their specific Vishnu or Shiva tradition. Padmanabham further states that the temple's gopura is also unusual for a Jain or Hindu temples, and it "reminds us of the Buddhist architecture". This temple is a "symbol of fusion", according to Padmanabham.