Airavatesvara Temple, featuring Dravidian architecture, stands proud in Darasuram. It is located close to Kumbakonam. This is a Hindu temple. It is a heritage site under UNESCO now, along with the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple located at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Brihadeeswara Temple located at Thanjavur.

Legend

Airavatesvara temple is devoted to Lord Shiva. “Airavat” depicts the “holy white elephant”. According to the legend, the white elephant (Airavat) of Indra, the king of Gods, worshipped Lord Shiva at this temple. The elephant suffered from a curse given by Sage Durvasa. The curse changed his color, which was restored when the elephant bathed in the temple’s sacred water.

Tourists can find an image of Airavat seated with Indra in the inner shrine. The temple and its deity get their name from this incident.

Legend also says that Yama, the king of Death, also worshipped Lord Shiva in this temple. Yama suffered from a sage’s curse, which gave him an uneasy feeling similar to that of extreme heat throughout his body. He was cured by Airavatesvarar, the presiding deity of this temple. Yama removed his curse by taking a bath in the holy tank.

Since then, the sacred tank is called Yamateertham.

History

Airvatesvara temple was built by Raja Raja Chola II (1146-63). It exhibits a fine example of the 12th century Chola architecture.

In 2004, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) excavated the temple and restored it.

The sacred tank, Yamateertham, gets fresh water straight from Kaveri River. The tank is 228 feet wide. Pilgrims visiting this temple make sure to bathe in this tank.

In the past, Raja Raja Chola and Karikala Chola visited this temple and worshipped Shiva Lingam. The second part of the inscription present on the walls of the temple describes the bequests of the then rulers. Looking at the inscriptions, it can be said that the shrine was known as Raja Rajapuraman and Raja Rajeswaran during those days.

Architecture

Airvatesvara temple is rich in art and architecture. It features superb stone carvings. This temple is smaller to that of Brihadeeswara Temple and Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple, yet it displays more intricacy and exquisiteness in its design and carvings. This is because the temple is said to have been constructed with “nitya-vinoda” or “perpetual entertainment” in mind.

The temple’s “Vimana” or tower is 80 feet high. The south part of the “Mandapam” at the front resembles a magnificent chariot featuring big stone wheels.

The east side of the inner court harbors a group of buildings, which exhibit brilliant carvings. One of them is the “seat for sacrifice” or “Balipita”. Adjoining to the pedestal of this seat is a small shrine. It has a picture of Lord Ganesha. The pedestal contains three beautifully carved steps at the south side. The steps are musical.

The south west corner of the temple court harbors a “mandapam” that has four shrines. One of them features a picture of Yama. Big stone slabs lie adjoining this shrine. The slabs feature sculptured images of “sapthamathas” or “seven celestial nymphs.”

Airvatesvara temple has a large number of inscriptions. The verandah’s north wall has 108 sections of inscriptions. Each contains name, image, and depiction of “Saivacharya” or “Saivite saints.”

Temple Timings

The temple is open from 6:00 am to 10:00pm every day.It takes about half an hour to visit the temple.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Airvatesvara temple is from November to March. The weather is cool and pleasant during these months.

How to Reach

By Rail

Airvatesvara temple is situated in Darasuram, which is around 6 km from Kumbakonam Railway station, the nearest station from here. Tourists can reach this temple by train that run from most cities of Tamil Nadu. The place lies on the Chennai-Tanjore line.

By Air

The nearest airport from here is Trichy.

By Road

The place is about 380 Km by road from Chennai and 35 km from Thanjavur.