Chola temple architecture chola art was an extension of the pallava era cholas building several 100 temples, some of which were modest in size while others were massive with vimanas or gopuras chola architecture is epitomised by the temple of koranganatha at trichinopoly constructed by parantaka i 907949 ad. The magnificent temple of brihadisvara at thanjavur is a splendorous jewel of indian temple art and architecture. The temple shiva at gangaikonda cholapuram built by rajendra 1 chola 1018 to 1033 a. Gangaikondan cholapuram temple is another such example. Situated in the southern state of tamil nadu, this world heritage site comprises the three great 11 th and 12 th century chola temples. The rituals marking the beginning of temple construction, like. By confining his study to the temple architecture of south ern india, ram raz. Chola art and style of architecture india the destiny. Some prominent features of temple architecture in the chola dynasty are enunciated here. Indian temple architecture evolution, type, design.
Thus the cholas continued the temple building traditions of the pallava dynasty, who were influenced by the amaravathi school of architecture. Temple architecture and sculpture 6 today when we say temple in english we generally mean a devalaya, devkula mandir, kovil, deol, devasthanam or prasada depending on which part of india we are in. Completed between early 11th and the 12th century ce, the monuments include the brihadisvara temple at thanjavur, the temple of gangaikonda cholapuram and the airavatesvara temple at darasuram. Many distinctive features that we find in the architecture today developed throughout the long period of indian history. Caturasra square, ayatasra rectangular, vrittayat elliptical, vritta circular, astasra octagonal. Ancient indian temples are classified in three broad types. The chola temples were profoundly constructed by following the vastu shastra. These are characteristic architectural designs of chola temples carved in temple walls.
The site includes three great 11th and 12thcentury temples. Naturalizing buddhist cosmology in the temple architecture of china. Chola temples chola bronze sculptures were intended for temple ritual. The stones are smaller and laid out in regular neat rows. Muttamil, denotes the three divisions of tamil viz. Chola architecture 900 1150 adthe capital of the chola dynasty was the city of thanjavur from 836 1267 ad the great temple of thanjavur was founded by rajaraja i. The earliest and most remarkable evidence of indian architecture is found in the cities of the harappan civilization which boast of a unique town planning. They are on the south, north and western walls of the sanctum. This is a magnificient 0 years old temple with exquisite sandstone sculptures estimated to be constructed somewhere between 685 ad to 705 ad by the pallava dynasty king rajasimha narasimhavarman ii.
Nicholas temple, university of huddersfield, school of art, architecture and design, faculty member. Bramantes ambition to create a unified urbanarchitectural scheme, and how this. Looking at it, one has to redefine the normal notions of size. D the son of sundara chola parantakaaii and vanavanmahadevi built this magnificent temple named brihadisvaram at tanjore the capital of chola dynasty. It is one of the finest examples of the early chola temple architecture. Pdf building science of indian temple architecture shilpa. The temple architecture evolved from the early cave temples and monolith temples of mamallapuram to the kailasanatha and vaikuntaperumal temples.
Features of temple architecture of the chola empire. Pallava dynasty conquered the region of thondaimandalam that was located at pallavapuri, the pallava rulers established their kingdom on the ruins. The chola art and architecture had the influence of the pallavas and other contemporary art and architecture schools, which in turn helped. A lot of temples were constructed during the chola period. This chola temple is bigger than any of the previous pallava, chalukya or pandya structures.
The muktesvara temple the muktesvara temple is regarded as a gem of orissan architecture. Built on a scale appropriate enough to house the presiding deity, sri brihadeesvara, or the lord of the universe, the temple continues to excite wonder at its many unique architectural features and living presence as a centre of saiva devotion. In early roman temples and palaces the greek style was long carefully. The project gutenberg ebook of architecture, by nancy r e meugens bell this. In aihole, known as the cradle of indian architecture, there are over. It was completed around 1009 by rajaraja chola, and is the largest and tallest of all indian temples. Pallavas were the first recognisable south indian dynasty who indulged in the pursuit of architectural innovations. Ancient indian architecture part iv tempe architecture. The distinct architectural style of temple construction in different parts was a result of geographical, climatic, ethnic, racial, historical and linguistic diversities. Finally, various elements of ornamentation such as gavaksha, vyalayali, kalpalata, amalaka, kalasha, etc. Pallava dynasty, history of pallava dynasty, pallava. Moovar koil another milestone in the early medieval chola architecture is located at kodumbalur near from pudukkottai and was constructed in the 10 th century by a chola general.
Upsc questions related to the topic culture are not so easy to prepare. Most of the chola temples were carved in the temple walls. The dravidian temple architecture started by the pallavas got matured at the hand of the cholas. Temple architecture in india ncert notes pdf download that does not mean that people did not have art in their homes at those times, but domestic dwellings and the things in them were mostly made from materials like wood and clay. Dravida temple architecture origin and development. It is quite a distinctive feature of the chola architecture, which makes it different from all the. The first seeds of dravidian temple architecture in tamil nadu were possibly sown during this period. Chola art and architecture art and culture for upsc preparation duration. In later period maratta and nayaks rulers constructed various shrines and gopurams of the temple. Hindu temples, was an intellectual exercise rooted in the subcontinents. The brihadeesvara temple stands as a supreme example of chola architecture. The statue of nandi, the bull, is situated at the entrance whose length is about 4.
These chola temples reveal the gradual evolution of the chola art and architecture. More than 100 temples of the chola period are preserved. An imposing structure the temple is the finest creation of chola craftsmen. Rajendra chola built a temple at gangaikonda cholapuram which is also equally famous. Nicholas v 144755, the proposal initially entailed a partnership with the. In the visual culture reader, edited by nicholas mirzoeff. The entrance gopuram were buit with famous sandstone. Interpreting an architectural past ram raz and the treatise in south. Temple building received great impetus from the conquests and the genius of rajaraja chola and his son rajendra. The three chola temples in india are exemplary production in the dravidian style of temple architecture. The chola dynasty was one of the longest ruling dynasties in the history of southern india, they utilised their prodigious wealth earned through their extensive conquests in building longlasting stone temples and exquisite bronze sculptures. During this golden age, the artsmusic and dance, poetry and drama, architecture and sculptureflourished. Moovar koil meaning temple of three gods in tamil, this temple complex had three temples only two of which survive today.
The architecture of temple generally confines to five basic shapes. The evolution of indian temple architecture is marked by a strict adherence to the. The size of the temple was huge and the tower itself 190ft high. About the book in this detailed, intensive survey, documentation and study of the temples of chittoor region of south india, from 10th to 17th century, dr. There are several important temples there and kailasanathar temple for lord shiva is one among the crown jewel of temples. Pdf the art and architectures along the tamil nadu coast. A low enclosure wall embellished with sculptured niches surrounds it.
Temple architecture of high standard developed in almost all regions during ancient india. A study of select temples of chittoor district chola and. The brihadeshwara temple rajrajeshwara temple at tanjore is classic example of dravida style of architecture under chola empire. Pallava art and architecture represent an early stage of dravidian art and architecture which blossomed to its fullest extent under the chola dynasty.
Nicholas temple university of huddersfield academia. The nagara or north indian temple style the style of temple architecture that became popular in northern india is. Download it once and read it on your kindle device. One of the most spectacular piece of south indian architecture, with due respect to the vijayanagara and pallava kingdoms, is the brihadeeswara temple in tanjavur. Temples, first rockcut type and then made of stones, made their appearance from the 8th century. In this article, we shall see the details of the chola temple architecture, which is an important part of dravidian temple architecture. The cholas ruled the deccan and emerged victorious among many other kingdoms such as pallavas, pandyas, chalukyas, rashtrakutas. The project gutenberg ebook of architecture, by mrs.
One common feature between all chola temples like the airavatesvara temple is the idol of shiva. The dvarapalas, or guardian figures, at the entrance to the mandapa, or hall which started from the palava period became a unique feature of the chola temples the dravidian style got fully developed after a transition from the rock cut structures of the pallava period. Naidu, attempts to compare the chola temples with the earlier styles of architecture, trace the survival of chola features in the vijayanagar temples and also indicate the innovation made by the vijayanagar artists in their temples. The great living chola temples is a unesco world heritage site designation for a group of chola dynasty era hindu temples in the indian state of tamil nadu. Temple architecture in india ncert notes pdf download. The nageswaran temple, built by aditya chola, is older than the big temple by 100 years and because of waterblasting, we have lost many early chola treasures. Temple architecture in india ncert notes most of the art and architectural remains that survive from ancient and medieval india are religious in nature. The first stone and mortar temples of south india were constructed during pallava rule and were based on earlier brick and timber prototypes. The great living chola temples were built by kings of the chola empire, which stretched over all of south india and the neighbouring islands. The first chola ruler vijayalaya chola built temple at narttamalai. Architecture, perspective and redemptive space kindle edition by nicholas temple. Brhadeeswara temple 3 brihadeeswara temple was built by rajaraja chola in 10101ad.
Cholan craftsmenship extended beyond temple architecture to include bronze image making. The plan of a temple is dictated by the nature of the deity. Massive grandeur and huge structures decorated with minute sculptures are characteristics of chola art. As i entered the main shrine i noticed the shiva figure emerging from the linga. In this context the indian hindu temple architecture are not only the abode of. In later period maratta and nayaks rulers constructed various shrines and gopurams of the. The main reason being lack of quality study materials which explain the same in simple language. It is the largest and tallest of all indian temples. These temples have garbhagriha, vimana and circumbulatory corridor and the huge sculptures. The chola school of art also spread to southeast asia and influenced the architecture and art of southeast asia. Architecture is an important area inside the culture topic. The original chola paintings, so far brought to surface, are mainly in the corridors of the ambulatory around the sanctum. The best example ofchola temple architecture is the brihadeswara temple at tanjore.
Today when we say temple in english we generally mean a devalaya, devkula mandir, kovil, deol. Studies architectural history, architectural theory, and. Pallava dynasty was a pastoral tribe who ruled the southern parts of india for almost 500 years. The chola temple architecture has been appreciated for its magnificence as well as delicate workmanship. It is the greatest step taken by rajaraja chola in the evolution of temple architecture in the south. Great living chola temples unesco world heritage centre.