Airavatesvara Temple

Built by Rajaraja Chola II in the twelfth century, the Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram is the smallest of the three Great Living Chola Temples in the UNESCO listing and the most finely worked. The front mandapa is shaped as a chariot drawn by horses with wheels carved at the base, and a flight of steps beside it, the singing steps, is cut so that striking different treads produces different tones, though visitors are now discouraged from testing them. Miniature friezes run round the base at knee height with scenes from the Periya Puranam, and the stone throughout is carved with a jeweller's precision.

What you actually see

• The chariot mandapa - a hall carved as a wheeled chariot with horses.
• The singing steps - a stair cut to give different tones when struck.
• The miniature friezes - small narrative panels at the temple base.
• The vimana - the tower over the sanctum with its tiered sculpture.

When to go

October to March; the plains are severely hot from March. Mornings suit the low relief carving. The temple is far quieter than Thanjavur and Madurai.

Honest expectations

Striking the singing steps is now discouraged to prevent damage, so the effect is generally not demonstrated. Photography inside the sanctum is prohibited. There is little shade in the courtyard.

Nearby

Kumbakonam lies northeast; Thanjavur is southwest.