The balustrades of darasuram are indeed iconic - the idea seemed to be to provide the effect of a ratha while retaining all the components of an agamic temple 
This is the elephant in the southern entrance
The wheels are not monolithic but made with multiple stones - look at the alignment. The horse a victim of the southern onslaught of the Delhi sultanate
A small buddha discretely hidden under the horse
The northern entrance - the horse survived..
This is the entrance to the parikrama corridor - an elephant with a lion who has pounced on him.. there are some old hindu - Buddhism symbolisms hinted here..
A complex yali motif heee
Closer to these complex window work - zoom to see the swasti subtly hinted
A familiar motiff - seen over many centuries in many of bharataas temples
And lastly the yAlis are a recurrent theme throughout the temple
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