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| Vimana seen from north-west |
A post on the 800+ year old Airavateswara Temple at Darasuram, near Kumbakonam, TN. This temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was built by Rajaraja Chola II, the great grandson of the mighty emperor Kulottunga Chola. This temple is the most ornate of the 3 great living Chola temples.
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| Vimana from north-east |
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| Elephant & horse chariot |
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| North Entrance |
Temple gets its name from Lord Indra's Vahana, Airavata. The Sthalapurana of this place mentions that Airavata was once cursed by Durvasa muni for disrespecting him,which resulted in Airavata getting a skin discoloration,which is cured after he takes a bath at the Pushkarani here.
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| East Gopuram |
Below is the Dwajasthambam facing the Garbhagudi, which houses a large magnificent Shiva Lingam. The mantapam seen in the background is on a elevated level. The steps leading up to the mantapam are filled with exquisite carvings of elephants & horse chariots & so are the pillars.
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| Dwajasthambam |
The Elephant & Horse Ratha carving on the steps leading up the the elevated Mantapam. Like most Chola temples of the area, this too has been a victim of islamic iconoclasm. Many sculptures have suffered heavy damage as a result of islamic invasions.
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| Horse & Elephant chariot |
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| Horse Chariot |
I'll take you through some of the murthis on the outer walls of the temple. Seen here is the Lingodbhavamurthy. The other two figurines encircled in red are Brahma in the form of a swan & Maha Vishnu in his Varaha avatar. The story behind his manifestation of Shiva is fascinating
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| Lingodbhavamurthy |
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| Brahma & Vishnu encircled in red |
