South India is reckoned as an indispensable part of Indian tourism. The rationale behind it is that it houses several ancient temples that are historically & religiously quite significant. Airavatesvara Temple is amidst these temples, located in Darasuram, Tamil Nadu.
The main deity of Aireavatesvara Temple is Lord Shiva. Although this temple is small in size comparing other shrines, yet, its history and architecture standout this Darasuram Temple from all others. Let’s reckon with its history, legends and everything about this Darasuram temple.
Airavatesvara Temple History
This temple was constructed in 12th century by Chola Kings, Rajaraja Chola II. The famous legend behind Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram revolves around Lord Indra’s elephant, Airavata. Airavata had four tusks and seven trunks. It has worshipped Lord Shiva at this place. Unfortunately, sage Durvasa cursed Airavata for not respecting him, because of which it turned into a colorless one. And, after taking bath in this temple’s holy waters, it got freed from that curse which he got from sage.
Another legend associated with the King of Death, Yama, on whose name the temple’s sacred tank was titled as Yamateertham. It is believed that Yama got cured of the curse given by sage, after taking bath in temple’s sacred tank.
Airavatesvara Temple Architecture
The architecture of this temple is Dravidian. Its sculptures and awesome carvings are central attractive points of this temple. The pillars are embellished with Yalis, the mythical creatures. Yalis that are sculpted here have a bull’s body, ram’s horns, a lion’s head, an elephant’s trunk, and pig’s ears.
One more fascinating aspect of Darasuram temple is its musical steps that rhyme in seven musical notes (swaras), whenever one steps on it.
Being recognized as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Airavateswara Temple has enriched architectural beauty. It comprises several shrines including main holy structure for Lord Shiva and another for Periya Nayaki Amman.
Airavateswara Temple Timings
Morning: 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Noon)
Evening: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
You can visit in these Airavateswara Temple timings. It hardly takes 1-2 hours to roam in the entire temple.
Entrance Fees
There is no fee for entrance. You can carry the camera inside the temple premises without paying any charges.
Best Time to Visit
The best time is November to February. But avoid visiting in the rainy season here. If you are visiting in summers, then don’t forget to take water bottles along with you.
How to reach this temple?
If you want to reach by air then Tiruchirappalli is the nearest airport spot. After reaching there you can embark for Airavastesvara Temple at Darasuram by choosing bus ride or even a cab.
If your route is different, then you can prefer buses as various buses board for Darasuram. Its nearby cities are connected with Indian Railways as well. However, the bus route is most preferred by the drifters to visit Airavateswara Temple.
The holy myths associated with Darasuram Temple, entice tourists from the whole world to visit and know it personally. So, plan your visit and know deeply about this holy shrine.
