Airavatesvara Temple is one of the three great living chola temples, which were built in the 11th and 12th centuries during the Chola dynasty's 1,500-year reign in modern-day Tamil Nadu, India.
The great Chola king Rajaraja II (1143-73 CE) built the temple at Darasuram, which is listed third after the two famous Chola temples of Thanjavur and Gangai. The temple is dedicated to Shiva. It also reverentially displays Vaishnavism and Shaktism traditions of Hinduism.
This temple is a storehouse of art and architecture. The vimana is 85 feet high. The front mandapam itself is in the form of a huge chariot drawn by horses. The temple has some exquisite stone carvings.
This temple's architectural marvel is highly intricate and delightful, with sculptures and paintings on the walls. There is no question that the temple is a must-see for all religious people as well as those with a keen interest in history. The temple is brimming with epigraphs and unique sculptures that dig into Rajaraja Chola's history. Despite the fact that this temple is smaller than the other Great Living Chola Temples, there is no doubt that it contains much more intricate sculptures.
Indra, Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Brahma, Surya, Vishnu, Saptamtrikas, Durga, Saraswati, Sri devi (Lakshmi), Ganga, Yamuna, Subrahmanya, Ganesha, Kama, Rati, and others are among the main Vedic and Puranic deities represented in the stone temple.
A mandapam with four shrines is located in the court's south-west corner. Yama is portrayed on one of these. Wide stone slabs sculpted with depictions of the sapthamathas surround this shrine (seven celestial nymphs). The advent of the Amman shrine as an important component of the South Indian temple complex is indicated by the construction of a separate temple for Devi, which was built slightly later than the main temple.
Airavatesvara Temple is located just 5 kms outside the city of Kumbakonam. It can be reached easily in hired taxi- cabs, autos or state-run buses.
Perception Paradox
This carving in Airavateshvara temple, Darasuram (India) depicts two separate animal bodies with their heads overlapping. It belongs to the period of RajaRajaChola II (~1166 CE).
If you focus only on the left portion you will see a bull, whereas if you focus only on the right portion you will see an elephant. This carving is a key surviving example of Chola architecture and craftsmanship.