Great Living Chola Temples

World Heritage Site recognition

The Temple Complex at Thanjavur was recognised in 1987. The Temple Complex at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple Complex were added as extensions to the site in 2004. The criteria for inclusion in the "Great Living Chola Temples" site are:

• Criterion (i): The three Chola temples of Southern India represent an outstanding creative achievement in the architectural conception of the pure form of the Dravidan type of temple.
• Criterion (ii): The Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur became the first great example of the Chola temples, followed by a development of which the other two properties also bear witness.
• Criterion (iii): The three Great Chola Temples are an exceptional and the most outstanding testimony to the development of the architecture of the Chola Empire and the Tamil civilization in Southern India.
• Criterion (iv): The Great Chola temples at Thanjavur, at Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram are outstanding examples of the architecture and the representation of the Chola ideology.

Temples

Thanjavur is about 340 km southwest of Chennai. Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram are respectively about 70 km and about 40 km to its northeast.

Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur

Main article: Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur

The Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. Built by Raja Raja Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD. The original monuments of this 11th century temple were built around a moat. It included gopura, the main temple, its massive tower, inscriptions, frescoes and sculptures predominantly related to Shaivism, but also of Vaishnvaism and Shaktism traditions of Hinduism. The temple was damaged in its history and some artwork is now missing. Additional mandapam and monuments were added in centuries that followed. The temple now stands amidst fortified walls that were added after the 16th century.

Built out of granite, the vimanam tower above the sanctum is one of the tallest in South India. The temple has a massive colonnaded prakara (corridor) and one of the largest Shiva linga in India.

Brihadisvara Temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Main article: Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram

The Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a Hindu temple located at Gangaikonda Cholapuram about 70 km from the Thanjavur Brihadisvara Temple. This temple was completed in 1035 AD by Rajendra Chola I as a part of his new capital, this Chola dynasty era temple is similar in design and has a similar name as the 11th century, and sometimes just called the Gangaikondacholapuram temple.

It is dedicated to Shiva and based on a square plan, but the temple reverentially displays Vaishnavism, Shaktism and syncretic equivalence themes of Hinduism with statues of Vishnu, Durga, Surya, Harihara, Ardhanishvara, and others. In addition to the main shrine with linga, the temple complex has a number of smaller shrines, gopura, and other monuments, with some partially ruined or restored in later centuries. The temple is famed for its bronze sculptures, artwork on its walls, the Nandi and the scale of its curvilinear tower.

Airavatesvara Temple

Main article: Airavatesvara Temple

The Airavatesvara Temple is at Darasuram, in the outskirt of the city of Kumbakonam, completed in 1166 AD. It is one among a cluster of eighteen medieval era large Hindu temples in the Kumbakonam area. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It also reverentially displays Vaishnavism and Shaktism traditions of Hinduism, along with the legends associated with sixty three Nayanars – the Bhakti movement saints of Shaivism.

Named after Airavata, Indra's white elephant, the Airavatesvara Temple is part of the Great Living Chola Temples, a group of three major Chola-era temples in Tamil Nadu, India. It is the last of the three temples built under successive Chola rulers, beginning with Rajaraja I, and was constructed by Rajaraja II around c. 1150 CE. The temple is noted for the Rajagambhira Thirumandapam ("Royal Courtyard"), which features intricately carved pillars, long granite steps, and stone chariots drawn by horses. The site is located at Darasuram, near Kumbakonam.

The stone temple incorporates a chariot structure, and includes major Vedic and Puranic deities such as Indra, Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Brahma, Surya, Vishnu, Saptamtrikas, Durga, Saraswati, Sri Devi (Lakshmi), Ganga, Yamuna, Subrahmanya, Ganesha, Kama, Rati and others. The temple was much larger and once had seven courtyards according to inscriptions. Only one courtyard survives; parts of the temple such as the gopuram are in ruins, and the main temple and the main temple and associated shrines stand alone. The temple continues to attract large gatherings of Hindu pilgrims every year.

Gallery

File:Thanjavur, Brihadishwara Temple (7013915633).jpg|View of the Śrī Vimāna of the Thanjavur Temple File:Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India (2016) 086.jpg|The granite gopuram (tower) of the Thanjavur Temple File:Thanjavur brihadeeswarar temple.jpg|Temple entrance gopurams at Thanjavur File:An elephant relief on the Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur.jpg|An elephant relief on the Thanjavur temple File:Sanskrit written on the Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur.jpg|Tamil written on the Thanjavur Temple

File:Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple entrance.jpg|The entrance leads into a grand complex File:Back view of Raja gopuram.jpg|The pyramidal structure above the sanctum at the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple File:Gangaikonda Cholapuram-Temple-WUS02583.jpg|Nandi File:Gangaikonda cholapuram sculptures 06.jpg|Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva, half Parvati): sculpture at Gangaikonda Cholapuram File:Chola sculpture.jpg|Stone sculpture at Gangaikonda Cholapuram

File:A Dravidian architecture Pillar in Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram @ Thanjavur district..JPG|A pillar in Dravidian architectural-style in Airavatesvara Temple File:Chariot detail, Airavatesvara, Tamil Nadu.jpg|Chariot detail of the Airavatesvara Temple File:Darasuram, Airavatesvara Temple, Mandapa at night, India.jpg|Altar File:Darasuram, Airavatesvara Temple, Inner halls, India.jpg|Pillars

References

Sources

References

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6. "The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)".
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9. (2004). "Great Living Chola Temples". UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
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13. Dehejia, Vidya. (2010). "Art of the Imperial Cholas". [[Columbia University Press]].
14. [[#Ayyar. Ayyar 1993]], p. 351
15. [[#Ayyar. Ayyar 1992]], pp. 350-351
16. (2016). "Puja and Piety: Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Art from the Indian Subcontinent". [[University of California Press]].