airavatesvara temple

This temple is built by a chola king,and is a UNESCO world heritage site,the art and architecture are astonishing.lord shiva in the form of lingam is the main deity of this beautiful temple. One must not missthis in his pilgrimage

Staying locally meant that we could get here early before the heat took hold. In the rising sun the architecture and sculptures were amazing. In places it is being and has been renovated but this will not spoil the visit.Cameras are allowed inside but once again it's shoes off - but socks allowed.

A superbly preserved temple with fantastic architecture - an obligatory visit if you're in the area. We paid 300 rupees in an auto from Kumbakonam including an hour's waiting time.

This is one among the three Great living Chola Temples under UNESCO World Heritage Site list, the other being Big Temple and Gangaikondacholapuram. Though the temple is smaller compared to the Big Temple, it is in no way inferior in its architectural beauty. Another remarkable feature is the well-manicured lawns and gardens that also add up an evening spending spot. I visited the site in evening and the photographs came as an excellent figure in the yellow sun rays. The temple is dedicated to Lord Siva as Airavateshwara.

Being a temple under the control of Archaeological Survey of India, it is absurd to remove the shoes / chappals etc and walk entire premises bare foot. It could be (if at all) bare foot only in the actual temple place (main Garbha-gruha)

the temple is a must see destination.... Take a guide to enjoy the sculptures to the fullest.... The car parking is moderate and the other facilities are well maintained...

One of the great living chola temples. the garden also well maintained by ASI.great architecture...

Since we were in the area and had already seen the other two Chola period UNESCO temples we decided to drop in on this one also. It is by far the prettiest among the three. Being from a slightly later period, we found that the imperfections of the earlier two temples were corrected here. For one thing, the pillars in the inner halls in both Big temple and Gangaikonda Cholapuram are both rather bare and bereft of carvings whereas over here each and every stone pillar has distinct carvings and some beautiful symbology. Don't miss if you are on the temple trail

- I hired a guide and it was well worth it. They usually expect Rs 200 for almost a 2 hr detailed tour but i paid him Rs 300.. I think his name was Diwakar (retired ASI employee) and he knew his stuff. Speaks English well. You can reach him directly at the site or via AR Rajan (8148457679) who put me to him. - Nearing a 1000 years now this place is replete with the legends of hinduism and history of those times (The Chola period was arguably the golden age of Tamil Civilization. These guys built grand temples and promoted art like nobody's business). The sheer size of the temples in and around Tanjore/Kumbakonam and the numbers that have been built cannot be matched by any other place in India (& i have been to a few).- You will find this place very similar to the Tanjore big temple or Gangaikonda Cholapuram (all 3 are UNESCO protected sites & well maintained).- Legend has it that indra's white elephant Airavat which became black due to a curse finally regained it's lost splendor and color by praying to the goddess here and hence the name of the Shiva here is called Airavateswar.- Located at Darasuram. ~ 3kms from Sarangapani temple on the Patteswaram route.

This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in addition to Big Temple in Tanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram, but carvings and architecture is bit different. All 3 are a must see.

Airavatesvara temple is one amongst the three UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE built by the Chola dynasty in the 11th and 12 th century. The other two being Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur & the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.We found this temple to be best of the three with abundance of exquisite stone carvings. All the three heritage structures are a storehouse of art and architecture with delicate and beautiful stone carvings.

Must visit!A quiet, beautiful temple, which reeks of character and you can spend hours just sitting around, admiring the beautiful sculptural work, or just soak in the ambience.We were lucky that we went in the winters when it had probably rained a day ago, the entrance was like a small pool that you had to wade through - it added to the experience of the entire complex.Well maintained and a UNESCO world heritage site....truly makes you feel awed!

A splendid temple dedicated to lord Siva. It has a striking resemblance to Gangaikondacholesvaram in Tanjore. It was built by the Cholas and it makes one wonder how was it possible during those times to build such a beautiful piece of architecture.

The Airavateswara Temple was built by the Chola King - Raja Raja Chola II. The Temple is a fine example of medieval Chola Architecture and is part of the Great Living Chola Temples. It has been declared as an UNESCO world heritage.The Temple is rich in architecture and sculpture design. The sculptures and pillars in the temple mandapam are rich and unique. It is currently maintained by the ASI (Archeological Survey of India)So here's what so special about the Airavateswara temple- Rich temple and sculpture design- The chariot sculpture- Ideal place for Photography enthusiastsSome tips for the travelers- The Temple is in Darasuram, located between Tanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram, so would be ideal to visit on route to Gangaikonda Cholapuram from Tanjavur- Open from 6.00 am in the morning - No Admission or Camera Fee- No coffee shops or Restaurant nearby so plan your travel accordingly- No Baggage counter available

If you are visiting Kumbakonam (for visiting Temples or as a tourist), this temple is a must see and cannot be missed. The temple is one among the best Chola Architecture.- This temple has one of the largest Sivalingams and is mind boggling.- At times, the priest may come and open the main Sanctum after 830 am or so and hence, do no leave without seeing the Sivalingam. (while we visited at about 830 am or so and about to leave, we saw the priest rushing in,and he opened the main sanctum ): There was not much crowd ( 2 of us and only 4 other devotees in the whole temple ) - The lawns and the garden surrounding the temple is well maintained, clean and peaceful.-You can also see the small art gallery ( the guard may volunteer and give some incorrect information and please ignore most of the information he gives) -. Admire the beauty of the temple architecture and pray in peace ( if you are a devotee) .