DARASURAM - Outstanding !
Darasuram is one of the three " Great Living Chola Temples " given the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag for being the repository of glorious Chola Art and Architecture . The huge Airavateshwara Complex , built by Rajaraja II ( 12th Cent), is an outstanding open museum which demands that we spend at least two whole days examining and admiring each and every block of stone, to do any justice to its grandeur. The innumerable stone figures populating this exquisite storehouse of religious art each have individuality in expressions and demeanor. Each visit is a voyage of discovery for everytime, some new detail comes to notice. For one thing, since those bad old days of shameful neglect , something has been done to renovate and spruce up the monuments in the complex. That is a great Plus. Consequently, its rating in the tourist circuit has gone up, so that more and more people are getting to appreciate the treasures it holds. However the minus points is that