Everything about Airavatesvara Temple totally explained
Airateswara Temple is a
Hindu temple located in the town of
Darasuram, near
Kumbakonam in the
South Indian state of
Tamil Nadu. This temple, built by
Rajaraja Chola II in the
12th century CE, along with the
Brihadeeswara Temple at
Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at
Gangaikonda Cholapuram are a
UNESCO World Heritage Site referred to as the
Great Living Chola Temples.
Legend
The Airateswara temple is dedicated to
Lord Shiva. Shiva is here known as Airavateshwara, because he was worshipped at this temple by
Airavata, the white elephant of the king of the gods,
Indra.
It is said that the King of Death,
Yama also worshipped Shiva here. Tradition has it Yama, who was suffering under a Rishi's curse from a burning sensation all over the body, was cured by the presiding deity Airavateswarar. Yama took bath in the sacred tank and got rid of the burning sensation. Since then the tank has been known as
Yamateertham.
Architecture
This temple is a storehouse of art and architecture and has some exquisite stone carvings. Although this temple is much smaller than the Brihadeeswara Temple or the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple, it's more exquisite in detail. This is because this temple is said to have been built with
nitya-vinoda, "perpetual entertainment", in mind.
The
vimana is 25
m (85
ft) high. The front
mandapam is in the form of a huge chariot drawn by horses.
Deities
The main deity's consort Periya Nayaki Amman temple is situated adjacent to Airavateshwarar temple.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
This temple was added to the list of Great Living Chola Temples in the year 2004. The Great Living Chola Temples includes the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airateswara Temple at Darasuram. All of these temples were built by the Cholas between the
10th and 12th centuries CE and have a lot of similarities.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Airavatesvara Temple'.
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