The Great Living Chola Temples

The Chola dynasty is one of the longest-running dynasties in history.

 Vijayala is the founder of the Chola Empire and he was known for his culture and strong ruling ethics, together the dynasty ruled for 15,00 years. 

The Empire was situated in the Kaveri river valley which runs through the sites of Karnataka, Tamilnadu, and other Southern plateaus.

 The exceptional living Chola temples is a UNESCO recognized World Heritage site, it was constructed by the Chola dynasty in the era which was dedicated to the building of Hindu temples in Tamilnadu. The temples showcase outstanding architectural knowledge, precision, and representation of the Chola ideology and powers. 

The town of Thanjavur, where the great temples are mainly located was also known as a capital and the most attractive city, as it was a temple town and also represented a value of urbanisation and modernization as well, it was natural that it became a centre for commerce in the Chola dynasty.

Great Living Chola Temples: Facts about a World Heritage Site

In order to review some amazing facts on the world heritage sites of the Chola temples, we will review some of the temples and see their facts individually during the Chola dynasty ruling they constructed a number of temples that are considered to be World Heritage sites by UNESCO. Let’s take a closer look at them. 

1.The temple of Brihadisvara at Gangaikondacholapuram.

The temple of Brihadisvara at Gangaikondacholapuram was ordered for construction by Rajendra the first, he built this temple in the era of the 11th century as they had received a major victory over the northern territories.

Facts Of the Brihadisvara Temple-

– The temple was built under the rule of Rajaraja.

– It was a kind of Saiva temple. 

– The construction of the temple is being done using Granite.

– The temple of Brihadisvara has been recognized to be a landmark when it came to studying the evolution of the architectural art of the south. 

– The size of the temple was immense, it was 240.9 m long and 122m broad.

– The architecture of the temple on the inner side includes life-size portraits and illustrations of gods and goddesses such as Saraswati, Durga, Laxmi, and other forms of Shiva and his adhisakthi. 

2.Airavatesvara Temple located at Darasuram.

The construction of the temple of Airavatesvara is very different from that of others. This is a quality of the Chola dynasty, that every of their construction looks more unique than the last. When the Chola dynasty was ruling the Southern Part of India, architectural art took a major toll on its development, which is evident in each World Heritage site.

 One of the reasons why the temples were built in the Chola dynasty was that these temples are sacred places, where people use to hold gatherings and became a part of an integrated community.

King Rajaraja the Second built Airavatesvara Temple.

Facts of the Airavatesvara Temple of Darasuram

• Chola King Rajaraja the second built this temple and titled this as a gem of the Chola dynasty architectural construction. 
•  As compared to the temples of Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram the construction of the Airavatesvara temple was on a small scale and the size of the temple is smaller than the others.
•  The Airavatesvara temple was a sacred place that consist of mandapas
•  The front was decorated with the sculpture of gods and goddesses which are used to make the temple appear more cultural, spiritual, and powerful.
• The construction pattern of each architect be that be a wall or a pillar was unique and not similar in any regard. 
• The interiors of the temples are filled with sculptures of moods of gods and goddesses which are now preserved in museums and art galleries due to their fragile nature.

Significance of the Great Chola temples

Nothing is constructed from stones without a reason, the royal Chola dynasty by building the eminent temples in the southern parts of India had a purpose and their own significance. Here are some of the significance of the Great Chola Temples-

• Under the guidance of the Chola dynasty, the culture of temple building flourished and the architecture styles developed indefinitely in the southern parts of India
•  The Temples were utilised to showcase the king’s power, his strength, and the amount of money or treasury he holds
•  The temples were a source of community integration and local civilians used to gather in temples to celebrate festivals or simply to worship gods and goddesses
• Music, cultural folk dance, and drama from the mythology were performed which was a somewhere a part of the entertainment as well as the spiritual storytelling   
• The Great Chola Temples were also a platform for charity, where people donated money or food which help to feed the poor and help the ones in need
•  The temples acted as settlements too. This also attracted many traders so it gradually became the centre of crafts and production of spices and other materials which made it the centre of attraction for finance
• Later in the Chola period, the temples were not only religious centres but also economic, social, and cultural hubs as well 

Conclusion

Being a World Heritage site that is recognized by UNESCO is a massive deal for Indian culture. The Chola dynasty which is known for its long run in ruling India brought laurels to the Indian culture and the spirituality of the society by constructing temples. The architectural style and the art of crafts developed indefinitely during the Chola period.

 The temples depict absolute strength, spirituality, and understanding of the king’s thoughts which are inscribed greatly all over them. The temples being the house to many civilians that were part of the community, the temples played a very important role to bring people together and pass on knowledge, which marks that the history of the great Chola dynasty is still alive.