Darasuram is a quiet town in the Kaveri delta, a few kilometres from Kumbakonam, and its temple is one of the gems of Chola architecture. The Airavatesvara temple was built in the twelfth century under Rajaraja II, and it is smaller and more delicate than the great temple of Thanjavur, as though the Cholas, at the height of their power, had decided to put their energy into detail. Every surface is carved: miniature friezes of dancers and musicians, the stories of the Shaiva saints, and narrow panels of gods and animals in fine, polished stone.
The temple's mandapa is built as a stone chariot, with huge carved wheels and horses, and the stairs of one of its platforms are said to produce musical notes when tapped. Legend says that Airavata, the white elephant of the king of the gods, worshipped here to be cured of a curse, which gives the shrine its name. Together with the Brihadisvara temples of Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram, it is listed as one of the Great Living Chola Temples, living because worship goes on every day.
The ride here is flat and green. The Kaveri delta is one of the most fertile parts of southern India, a landscape of rice paddies, coconut palms, banana groves and irrigation canals, and the roads run straight between them, lined with trees and dotted with temple towers. Roads are generally decent but busy with trucks, buses, bullock carts and motorbikes, and the usual rules apply: stay alert, expect cattle and sudden stops, and avoid night riding. Heat is a given; the cooler months from November to February are far more comfortable, and the monsoon between October and December brings heavy rain.
Swamimalai is a few kilometres away and known for its bronze casting, and Kumbakonam, a bigger town just beyond, has fuel, food and many temples. Remove shoes before entering the temple, and expect the stone floor to be hot at midday. Early light is best, and filter coffee in a small restaurant afterwards is a pleasure.