Kumbakonam and Darasuram

Overview

Kumbakonam lies in the Kaveri delta, and what defines it is how many shrines are squeezed into one walkable town. Around 188 Hindu temples are counted inside the municipal limits, which explains the old nickname of Temple Town. Adi Kumbeswarar, a Shiva temple with an eleven-storey eastern gateway of about 39 metres, and the Sarangapani Temple, described as the largest Vishnu shrine in the town, give a sense of the range. At the heart of it all sits the Mahamaham tank, ringed by sixteen small pavilions that house Shiva lingams. Every twelve years the tank becomes the focus of a mass bathing festival, and the 2016 edition drew an estimated four million people. The next is slated for 2028.

Walking Kumbakonam's temple streets is the main thing to do here, but the town is also a working craft centre. Swamimalai, a suburb, is known for bronze icons made by the lost-wax method, and the style traces back to sculptors who worked on the great Chola temples. Brass and copper vessels, silk saris from nearby Thirubuvanam and a strong filter coffee made with undiluted milk are the other local specialities. Thanjavur is about 40 km away, so a night here also fits neatly between Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli on a Chola temples route.

The outing that draws most travellers is Darasuram, a village on the edge of town where the Airavatesvara Temple stands. King Rajaraja II built it in the 12th century, and UNESCO treats it as the third of the Great Living Chola Temples, alongside the Brihadisvara temples at Thanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram. It is far smaller than the Thanjavur giant, with a tower of about 24 metres, yet its carving is among the finest of the period. The front hall is shaped like a chariot, with stone wheels and horses, and a flight of balustraded steps near the Nandi is said to give out musical notes. Miniature panels along the walls tell the lives of the 63 Nayanar saints.

Darasuram lies only a few kilometres from the town, so the two fit into one unhurried day, and Gangaikonda Cholapuram, about 35 km away, makes a longer addition. Tiruchirappalli airport is around 100 km by road. Come between November and February for the gentlest weather, and remember that temples are entered barefoot with shoulders and knees covered.

Known for

UNESCO-listed, with a chariot-shaped hall and carved musical steps