AIRAVATESHWAR TEMPLE - DARASURAM

Airavatesvara Temple - Darasuram

Lord Indra’s mount Airavata (the Elephant) became white in colour after taking a dip in the temple tank and hence the name of the Deity is Airavateswavara.

 

Airavatesvara Temple is a Hindu temple of Chola architecture located in the town of Darasuram, near Kumbakonam. This temple, built by Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century CE has a Mukhamandapam or Vimanam which is taller than the Rajagopuram, as in Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram & Kampahareshwara temple at Tirubuvanam. These 4 temples are referred to as the Great Living Chola Temples.

The Airavatesvarar temple is dedicated to Shiva. It also enshrines Vaishnavism and Shaktism cults of Hinduism, along with the legends of Nayanars – the Bhakti movement saints of Shaivism.

The stone temple is in the structure of a chariot drawn by horses & elephants. Shiva's consort has a dedicated shrine called the Periya Nayaki Amman temple.

The temple has a water tank that has a connected channel which brings in the Kaveri River water into the Tank. The local mythology narrates how Airavata, Indra's  elephant  was bestowed & blessed with white skin after it took a dip in this tank. This legend is carved in stone in the inner shrine, and the Deity derives his name from the elephant Airavata – Airavateshwara.

The Airavatesvara temple is another square plan structure completed in 1166 CE.  The Nandi mandapa and the stambha are found outside of this main temple courtyard and they are aligned with the main temple's east-west axis. It is classified as Karakkoil, a temple fashioned after temple chariots which are taken in procession around the temple during festivals. The agara-mandapa is called the Rajagambhiran-tiru-mandapam after the king. This hall is shaped like a chariot, provided with stone horses and wheels.

The Agara(frontal) mandapa has ornately carved steps that go from east to west. On its east, outside the main podium, is the bali-pitham. The steps leading to It are unique, it is intricately carved. When one walks or steps on them, they produce a musical note. They are therefore called the "singing steps".

The reliefs all along the base of the main temple narrate the stories of the sixty three Shaiva Bhakti saints called Nayanars. These stories are found in the Periya Purana by Sekkilar. On the outer walls of the main sanctum are sculpture niches, five on each side, with the middle one larger than others. They show various Hindu deities, with the middle one of each side showing Shiva in different aspects.^[15]

There are sculptures for river goddesses like Cauvery, Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari and Narmada. Another inscription close to the gopura, records that these images were brought from Basavakalyan, then known as Kalyanapura by emperor Rajadhiraja Chola I after his defeat of the Western Chalukya king Someshwara I, his sons Vikramaditya VI and Someshwara II his capture of the Chalukyan capital.