The Musical Steps of Darasuram
At a Chola temple in Tamil Nadu, seven stone steps are said to play the seven notes of the scale when struck.
What was reported
The Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram, near Kumbakonam, was built by the Chola king Rajaraja II in the 12th century. It is one of the Great Living Chola Temples listed by UNESCO.
Near its entrance is a short flight of stone steps. Each one, when tapped, is said to give a different note, together making the seven notes of Indian classical music, sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha and ni. The steps are now protected behind a grille.
Explanations offered
The steps are carved from granite, a dense stone that rings when struck. The note depends on each block's size, shape and how it rests, so the builders likely chose and shaped the stones to give different pitches. Exactly how they tuned them isn't recorded.
- When
- Temple built in the 1100s
- Where
- Airavatesvara temple, Darasuram, Tamil Nadu, India
- Witnesses
- Visitors and musicians
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.