Chola Architecture
Chola
Architecture:
· Cholas followed the architecture style of Pallavas and constructed
numerous temples throughout their territory.
Nagaeshwvara, Brihadeshwvara and Airavateshwara temples in
Tanjore-Thanjavur region represent the zenith of Chola architectural style.
· The Cholas continued the temple building traditions of the Pallava
dynasty, who were themselves influenced by the Amaravathi school of
architecture.
· Pallavas were the first recognisable South Indian dynasty who indulged in
the pursuit of architectural innovations. The first seeds of Dravidian temple
architecture in Tamil Nadu were possibly sown during this period.
· The temple architecture evolved from the early cave temples and monolith
temples of Mamallapuram to the Kailasanatha and Vaikuntaperumal temples of
Kanchipuram.
Early Cholas:
·
The early Cholas built numerous temples. Aditya I
and Parantaka I were prolific builders for their faith.
·
Inscriptions of Aditya I record that he built a
number of temples along the banks of the river Kaveri These temples were much
smaller in comparison to the huge monumental structures of the later Cholas and
were probably brick structures rather than stone.
·
The early Cholas architecture clearly followed the
Pallavas style (Standing ex: Vijayalacholeswaram near Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu
and Nageswara at Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu)
Later Cholas:
·
Later Chola redefined the architecture
·
Rajaraja and Rajendra are the Chola Architectures
·
The maturity and grandeur to which the Chola
architecture had evolved found expression in the two magnificent temples of,
(i) Thanjavur and
(ii) Gangaikondacholapuram
·
Both these temples are in UNESCO World Heritage Site
Thanjavur Temple:
·
The magnificent Siva temple of Thanjavur, completed
around 1009 CE is a fitting memorial to the material achievements of the time
of Rajaraja.
·
The largest and tallest of all Indian temples, it is
a masterpiece constituting the high-water mark of Indian architecture.
·
Epigraphic evidence reveals that Rajaraja started
building Thanjavur temple in his 19th regnal year and it was completed on 275th
day of his 25th regnal year (1010 CE), taking only 6 years.
·
Rajaraja named this temple as Rajarajesvaram (இராஜராஜேஸ்வரம்) and the deity
Shiva in Linga form as Peruvudaiyar (பெருவுடையார்) the temple is also known in the deity's name as Peruvudaiyarkovil (பெருவுடையார் கோயில்)
·
In later period Maratha and Nayaks rulers
constructed various shrines and gopurams of the temple.
·
In later period when the Sanskrit language was more
popular during the Maratha rule the temple was named in Sanskrit as
Brihadisvaram and the deity as Brihadisvara.
·
The temple is built entirely of granite,
interestingly, in a place where there is no source of granite.
·
Temple
turned 1000 years old in September 2010.
·
On
26 September 2010 (Temple's fifth day of millennium celebrations), as a
recognition of Big Temple's contribution to the country's cultural,
architectural, epigraphical history, a special Rs. 5 postage stamp featuring
the 216-feet tall giant Raja Gopuram was released by India Post.
·
The
Reserve Bank of India commemorated the event by releasing a Rs. 5 coin with the
model of temple embossed on it
·
Mumbai
Mint issued Rs 1000 Commemorative Coin with the same picture as on the Rs 5
coin. It was the first 1000 Rupees coin to be released in the Republic of India
coinage.
Tamil Novels and Thanjavur Temples:
·
Balakumaran
has written a novel Udaiyar (உடையார்) themed on the life of
Raja Raja Chola I and the construction of the Brihadeeswarar temple.
·
Kalki
has also written a novel Ponniyin Selvan (பொன்னியின்
செல்வன்)
based on the life of Raja Raja Chola I.
Gangaikondacholpauram:
·
The temple of Gangaikondacholapuram follows the plan
of the great temple of Thanjavur in most details it has characteristics of its
own.
·
From the remains it may be seen that it had only one
enclosure wall and a gopura while the Thanjavur temple has two gopuras and
enclosures.
·
It is larger in plan though not as tall, the vimana
being 100 feet square at the base and 186 feet high.
·
The temple, which forms a large rectangle 340 feet
long and 110 feet wide occupies the middle of an immense walled enclosure
mainly built for defensive purposes.
·
The vimana has the same construction as in
Thanjavur, but the number of tiers making up the pyramidal body is only eight
as against 13 in Thanjavur.
·
The most important difference lies in the
introduction of curves in the place of the strong straight lines of the
Thanjavur vimana.
·
The pyramidal body is slightly concave in its
outline at its angles while the sides are curved to produce a somewhat convex
outline. These curves enhance the beauty of form of the vimana though they
distract from its stateliness and power.
Notable
Features:
|
Materials
|
Started using stones instead of bricks
|
|
Walls & Passages
|
Have neatly
detailed frescoes, sculptures and paintings – including birds, dancing
figures, pictorial stories from Puranas
|
|
Portraits
|
Some of the Chola
temples contain beautiful life-sized portraits of kings and queens.
|
|
Grabhagriha
|
Chief deity room
|
|
Vimana
|
5-7 storeys above
deity room. In Brihadeshwara Temple at Tanjore, there are 13 successive
storeys
|
|
Shikhara
|
Above the Vimana (Storyes).
|
|
Vs Pallavas
|
Although Chola
continued the art tradition of Pallavas, but abandoned the lion motifs from
temple walls.
Chola temple
pillars were constructed with greater refinement than Pallavas.
|
|
Nataraja
|
During Chola
period, metal art showed remarkable development and was used for further
decoration of temples.
Ex: Nataraja or
dancing Shiva at Chidambaram temple- described as the ‘cultural epitome’ of
the Chola period.
|
|
Manadap
|
Audience hall,
for various ceremonies. Elaborate carvings and pillars.
|
|
Gopuram
|
Temple gateways,
which enclosed the entire temple structure with high walls.
|
|
Trend-Setters
|
Brihadeshwara
temple by Rajaraja –I at Tanjore. It was the tallest of all Indian Temple at
that period.
Other kingdoms in
South India- and even in Sri Lanka, adopted the architectural style of Chola
temples.
|
The Cholas followed
and refined Pallava architecture, with following notable features:
·
Use of stones instead of bricks.
·
Walls decorated with sculptures and paintings of
deities, kings and queen instead of lion motifs from Pallava.
·
Temples are enclosed by decorative walls and
entrance (Gopuram);
·
have an audience hall (Mandap); a deity room
(Garbhgriha); a pyramid like storey above the deity room (Vimana)
·
Ultimately the beautiful Shikara stone at the top –
each with elaborate and meticulous carvings- Weighing in tonnes yet placed
without help of cranes.
·
During their reign, Cholas studded the entire Tamil
landscape with such temples including Nagaeshwvara, Brihadeshwvara,
Airavateshwara and Chidambaram -their style even followed by other kingdoms in
South India and Sri Lanka.
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