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Darasuram Airavateshwara Temple is not only a superb architectural monument, it is also filled we exquisite deity sculptures and ornamentation. The temple vimana is 85 feet high, towering over the main mandapam that was built in the form of a massive chariot. The presiding deity, Lord Shiva, is known here as Airavateshwaran, because Easwaran (Shiva) was offered worship here by Lord Indra's elephant vahana, Airavatam. Airavateshwaran lingam's consort, Periya Nayaki Amman, or Deva Nayaki, is situated in a separate shrine adjacent to the sanctum.
Periya Nayaki Amman temple Outside the sanctum sanctorum are the presiding deity niches, where Lord Brahma resides along with Naga Raja, the king of snakes, and Dhakshinamurti, who faces south. Elsewhere there are beautiful stone sculptures of Saraswati Devi, who is seen without her veena, Ravana carrying Kailasa, as well as Buddha, Bhikshatana, and Surya.
Dhakshinamurti There is also a special shrine here for Lord Sarabeshwara, the incarnation of Shiva that is half bird, half lion. Sarabeshwara manifested during the pastime of Lord Nrsimhadev's slaying of Hiranyakasipu, when Shiva Sarabha and other divine personalities came to calm the Lord's anger.
Eastern gopuram The main mandapa is known as Raja Gambira, designed as an elephant-drawn chariot. On the ceiling there is a beautiful carving of Shiva and Parvati inside an open lotus. On the inside wall of the outer prakaram, about a foot above floor level, there is a band of intricate carvings that depict the dancing poses of Bharatnatyam, as described in the Sodasa Upasaras. There are also some images of social scenes, including a group of village women helping to deliver a baby. There are a number of paintings on the walls as well, dated to the Nayak period.
Yali Pillar At the main entrance of the temple are two Dwarapalakas -- Sankhanidhi and Padmanidhi. At the front of the temple there is a small mandapa which can be entered by going up three steps carved in the form of a stone ladder. Each of the steps gives a different musical sound when tapped. All the seven swaras can be heard at different points.
Chariot mandapam The primary legend associated with Darasuram Airavateshwara Temple is that of the pastime of Lord Indra's white elephant, Airavata, worshipping Lord Shiva here. Yama also offered worship here, and it is said that Airavateswarar cured Yama of an illness brought about by a Rishi's curse. Yama was suffering from a burning sensation all over his body. He rid himself of the malady by taking bath in the sacred tank here, now called Yama Theertham. The temple tank gets its supply of fresh water from the river Kaveri Cauvery).
Airavateshwara Temple gopuram One of the greatest Chola temples, Darasuram was built along with a number of other famous Chola monuments in the Thanjavur area, constructed between the 10th and 12th centuries A.D. One of these, the temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, was built in a similar style to the Darasuram temple.
Naga Raja In addition to the main temple and Amman shrine, there are several other important structures in the Darasuram complex. The Veerabhathirar Temple is located directly behind Periya Nayaki Amman's shrine. Now in ruins, this temple was built even before the Airavateshvara temple. The Raja gopuram of Veerabhathirar Temple was built of bricks and mortar, which fell to ruin faster than the stone edifice of Airawateshvara.
Chariot horse Some photos courtesy of Sundara Palaniapan Part 2 - Pushkar, Rajasthan Part 3 - Chinch & Asotra, Rajasthan Part 4 - Eklingji, Udaipur, Rajasthan) Part 5 - Vasantgarh, Rajasthan) Part 6 (Rajasthan: Bijoila, Mewar; Chandravati, Sirohi; Kiradu & Sevadi, Jodphur) Part 7 (Khokhan, Himachal Pradesh) Part 8 (Tihri-Uttarsal, Himachal Pradesh) Part 9 (Una, Himachal Pradesh) Part 10 (Dudhahi, Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh) Part 11 (Gaya, Bihar) Part 12 (Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh) Part 13 (Alampur, Andhra Pradesh) Part 14 (Kaleshwar, Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh) Part 15 (Sampradaya Acarya - Lingampally, Andhra Pradesh) Part 16 (Manthani, Andhra Pradesh) Part 17 (Gurramguda Village, Andhra Pradesh) Part 18 (Tirusulam, Tamil Nadu) Part 19 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 20 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 21 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 22 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 23 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 24 (Syncretistic Forms of Lord Brahma) Part 25 (Thirupachur, Tamil Nadu) Part 26 (Pancheshti/Pancheti, Tamil Nadu) Part 27 (Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu) Part 28 (Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu) Part 29 (Mandagappattu, Tamil Nadu) Part 30 (Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 31 (Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 32 (Thirumukkoodal, Tamil Nadu) Part 33 (Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu) Part 34 (Thirunaraiyur, Tamil Nadu) Part 35 (Thirunaraiyur, Tamil Nadu) Part 36 Thiruvengadu, Tamil Nadu) Part 37 Thiruvelliyankudi, Tamil Nadu) Part 38 Kuthanoor, Tamil Nadu) Part 39 Lalgudi, Tamil Nadu) Part 40 Kulithalai, Tamil Nadu) Part 41 Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu) Part 42 Thirupattur, Tamil Nadu) Part 43 Pullamangai, Tamil Nadu) Part 44 Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu) Part 45 Sri Rangam, Tamil Nadu) Part 46 Tanjore, Tamil Nadu) Part 47 Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu) Part 48 Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu) Part 49 Darasuram, Tamil Nadu)
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