BRIHADEESWARA TEMPLE -
ART AND CULTURE
News: The Grand Shiva Temples By The
Cholas Are Timeless
What's in the news?
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The Great Living Chola Temples of Tamil Nadu are
known for their architectural brilliance; they represent a glorious period in
the history of the Cholas.
Key takeaways:
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The Cholas,
who established their rule in the 9th century CE, were great patrons of art,
architecture, and religion.
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They built massive temples that were not only sites of worship but also nerve centers for arts and crafts to
flourish.
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These temples were major hubs for socio-economic
and political activity.
Brihadeshwara Temple:
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It is also known as Raja Rajeswara Temple, is dedicated to Shiva and is located in Thanjavur
(Tamil Nadu).
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Thanjavur lies in the delta of the Cauvery River.
Built by:
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It is one of the best examples of the Dravidian style of temple architecture
built by Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola I
(985-1014 AD) between 1003 AD and 1010 AD.
Important Takeaways:
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It is one of the biggest Hindu temples in India and
boasts a massive vimana (tower), 208
feet in height.
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The entire temple is a lesson in superior planning
and impeccable craftsmanship and has been built according to the principles of
axial symmetry.
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The east-facing temple is built in a rectangular
plan and the complex includes the main sanctum with the towering vimanam, the
Nandi mandapam, the main community hall (mukhamandapam), the great gathering
hall (mahamandapam), and the pavilion that connects the great hall with the
sanctum.
Dravidian Style of
Temple Architecture:
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The Dravidian style of temple architecture
flourished roughly from the 8th century to about the 13-14 century AD.
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The temple consists of a pyramidal spire and is
adorned with sculptures and paintings inside as well as outside.
Special Features:
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The temple, which is one of the tallest temples in India, still remains an engineering
mystery as it is completely made of
granite and archaeologists still don’t know how the builders got such huge
pieces of granite for construction at this height.
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The apex structure on top of the temple is believed
to be carved out of a single stone carving.
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It is so designed that the Vimana does not cast a shadow at noon during any part of the year.
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Vimana is the structure over the garbhagriha or
inner sanctum in the Hindu temples of South India and Odisha.
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It is like a stepped pyramid that rises up
geometrically rather than the curving Shikhara of North India.
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The nearly 20-foot
Nandi weighing 25 tonnes, has been crafted from a single piece of
stone.
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Scores of ornately carved sculptures adorn the
temple façade, and beautifully painted frescoes depict stories of the
past.
World Heritage Site:
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The temple entered the UNESCO World Heritage Site
list in 1987 and is also a part of
"Great Living Chola Temples" along with the Brihadisvara Temple
at Gangaikondacholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram.
Go back to basics:
Brihadisvara Temple (Gangaikondacholapuram,
Tamil Nadu):
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It was built for Shiva by Rajendra I (1014-1044 CE).
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The temple has sculptures of exceptional quality.
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The bronze sculptures of Bhogasakti and Subrahmanya
are masterpieces of Chola metal icons.
Airavatesvara Temple
(Darasuram):
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It was built by the Chola king Rajaraja II (1144-1173 CE).
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It is much smaller in size as compared to the
Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram.
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The temple consists of a sanctum without a
circumambulatory path and axial mandapas.
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The front mandapa is unique as it was
conceptualized as a chariot with wheels.