The Great Living Chola Temples

The Chola’s waged battles invaded neighboring territories and dominated vast areas of South India from the 9th to 13th centuries. However, most famous is their architectural accomplishments that left us today with outstanding monuments. The temples are a representation of the art, culture, and architecture of the Chola Empire. The Great Living Chola Temples, while not as well-known as their northern Indian counterparts, are spectacular structures that deserve to be seen and appreciated by all.

The Great Living Chola Temples were built about one thousand years ago. These temples are great for tourist to learn about the history of India. Before these temples were built there was nothing but home and a few small lakes in a land of fields. The king had commissioned his officials to build massive piers, large enough to support hundreds of slabs of rock. The officials achieved this by building 4 huge foundation piers more than 65 feet tall and eventually including 1000 rock slabs and 200 pilasters.

The Great Living Chola Temples

The Great Living Chola Temples are located in Tamil Nadu, India's southernmost state, and were established during the Chola dynasty's reign.

The Cholas were tremendous patrons of the arts, and during their rule, some of South India's most majestic temples and fine bronze icons were built. The three magnificent Chola temples from the 11th and 12th centuries are,

1. The Brihadisvara temples of Thanjavur

2. The Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondacholisvaram

3. .the Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram

1. The Brihadisvara Temples Of Thanjavur

The Brihadisvara temples of Thanjavur is a World Heritage Site in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is considered one of the "Great Living Chola Temples". It is one of the largest temples in India and is an exemplary masterpiece of the Chola dynasty's architecture.

Tirumalai Nayak was the ruler of Thanjavur from 1600 to 1634 CE. He was a great patron of art and his reign marked the high point in the development of the Chola-Nayaka style of architecture. The large temple complex has many fine sculptures and is a brilliant example of Nayaka period art. The complex contains three main shrines: That of Nataraja (dancing Shiva), Shiva as Sadasiva (neither God nor man), and Vishnu as Jagannatha (Lord of the Universe). The main shrine consists of three cells, each containing its own image of the god — Shiva as Natarajan in the center, flanked by his consort Umambika and son Ganesha on either side. There are also many big Nandis (the bull, the vehicle of Lord Siva) with intricate carvings on them placed inside the courtyard of the temple.

The temple is remarkable for its scale, detail and the purity of its inner sanctum sanctorum. The temple is a masterpiece not just in terms of architecture but also sculpture, especially in its doorway panels telling stories from the epics and wearing apparel worn by the kings and nobles at that time.

The temple stands on a high platform that measures 167 feet by 153 feet, and is approached by flights of steps on the east and south. The eastern stairway has figures of animals and mythological creatures carved on the base of the wall, a style which was continued for several decades in many other Chola period temples.

The details of its construction are given in a Tamil work "Brahmanda Purana Maha Desika Charitram" written by Periya Thirumoli in the 13th century. It has a lofty tower which is 180 ft high with a big gopuram or gateway tower over it. The temple has many halls and beautiful sculptured walls

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2. The Brihadisvara Temple At Gangaikondacholisvaram

The Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondacholisvaram is a monumental temple dedicated to Shiva in Tamil Nadu, India. Built by Rajendra Chola I (1014–44 CE), it is located in Gangaikondacholapuram, near Tiruchirappalli.

The temple is notable for its monumental tower that rises 134 meters (440 ft) and its massive walls that are nearly 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) in circumference. The temple itself covers an area of 13 ha (32 acres). Its main tower and walls are made of brick and mortar; the rest is sculpted out of rock. It is also known as the Rajarajeswaram temple or Peruvudaiyar Kovil, named after the village it's located in.

The temple's original name was Rajarajeswaram but it was popularly called "Thiruvarur Big Temple" or "Big Temple" for short. It was built following the ancient Saivite tradition, where the presiding deity is represented by a stone shrine placed on a raised platform. The shrine houses the statue of Shiva as Sundareswarar(lord of beauty) and is one of the largest temples of its kind in India. The temple is one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is considered to be one of the most important contributions of Tamil architecture to Indian Architecture.

The temple features many fine carvings, including those of Dakshinamurthy, Shiva with Parvati, Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva, half Parvati), Lingodbhava (Shiva emerging from the pillar) and Nataraja (Shiva as the cosmic dancer). These sculptures are notable because they do not conform to the canon of proportions followed in other South Indian temples.

3. The Airavatesvara Temple At Darasuram

The Airavatesvara temple located at Darasuram (or Tiruchirappalli) in Tamil Nadu, India is an example of the excellent Dravidian architecture that developed there during the Chola dynasty.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this ancient temple is known for its ornate facade and intricate carvings on the walls.

The Airavatesvara temple was constructed in the thirteenth century by king Rajaraja Chola II. The king was a member of the Chola dynasty, which ruled over southern India during the tenth through fourteenth centuries. The Chola kings were known for their patronage of arts, crafts, and architecture, and they helped make Tamil Nadu one of the most powerful regions in South Asia.

The temple is named after Airavata - the white elephant that serves as Lord Indra's vehicle - and its main deity is said to be a manifestation of Shiva. The temple's name translates to "the temple of the white elephant."

The Airavatesvara temple has several unique features that set it apart from other temples in India. For instance, it has no gopuram - or tall tower - over its entrance. It does have a smaller portico at the entrance, however, that is supported by 12 pillars carved into intricate designs.

The temple is flanked by a number of smaller shrines, some with colonnaded halls leading to them, while others are simple to open mandapas or halls with pillared porticos supported by lathe-turned pillars with lotus capitals.