Airavatesvara Temple is a Hindu temple of Dravidian architecture located in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This temple, built by Chola emperor Rajaraja II in the 12th century CE is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram that are referred to as the Great Living Chola Temples.
The main temple
Pyramid-structure inside Airavatesvara Temple
Chariot detail, Airavatesvara temple, Tamil Nadu.
This is the other side of the gopuram sculpted with beautiful sculptures
Dravidian architecture, or the Southern Indian temple style, is an architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from Southern India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century.
Gopurams around a large temple dwarf the older central structures. The Annamalaiyar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
Vijayanagara style architecture characterized by Yali pillars at Sri Kalyana Ramaswamy temple in Thenkaraikottai, Ramaiyampati.
Stone vel on a brick platform at the entrance to the Murugan Temple, Saluvankuppam, Tamil Nadu, 300 BCE-300 CE
Chennai Parthasarathy Perumal Temple is One of the oldest temples of Pallavas dating early 500 CE