Around Kumbakonam:
Dharasuram:
It is located 4 km(2.5 Miles) west of Kumbakonam, was built by the Chola King, Rajaraja II. This temple is dedicated to Shiva, who is Airavateshvara, the “Lord of Airavata”. Legend claims that after Airavata, the white elephant of Indhra, the God of the Heavens, regained his lost colour, he worshipped Shiva at this spot.
Tirubhuvanam:
There are six base of Srivimana. One can see sculptures of the scenes of Puranas on the wall of Srivimana. Some of other shrines are in the temple. It is the 13th century Chola temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Gangaikonda Cholapuram:
It is one of the very ancient temples of Tamil Nadu, built in the Chola style. Gangai Konda Chola Puram, “The City of the Chola who took the Ganges”, was the capital of powerful Chola dynasty during the reign of Rajendra I.
Rajendra I, was the first Tamil ruler to venture Northwards and a great military commander like his father Rajaraja I. He built this city to commemorate his successful campaign across the Ganges.
According to an inscription, he then ordered the defeated rulers to carry back pots of sacred Ganges water on their heads to fill the Chola-Ganga tank, a victory memorial.
Brihadishwara Temple:
It is 35 km North of Kumbakonam. It was built by the Chola emperor Rajendra I. Later additions were made in the 15th century by the Nayaks. It was built as a replica of Thanjavur’s Brihadishvara temple by his father Rajaraja I, the towered sanctum of this granite Shiva temple is shorter than the one at Thanjavur. It is indeed a great feat of engineering. All the more as the construction, was done in such a way that the shadow of the cupola never falls on the ground.
The sanctum sanctorum has a four meter high lingam with a circumference of 7 meters. The inner walls of the temple have the many mudras (poses) of Bharatnatyam (classical Indian dance) portrayed by dancing damsels. Perhaps the sculptors did this as Shiva, the presiding deity is also the God of Dance (Natraja).
