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ArchaeologyIndia

RAJENDRA
History
RajendraCholaI(10121044A.D)sonoftheGreatRajarajaI,establishedthistempleafterhisgreatvictoriousmarchto
riverGangesonNorthernIndia.HewasoriginallycalledMadurantakan.HeassumedthetitleofRajendraduringhis
coronationandcontinuedtorulealongwithhisfatherRajarajaIforawhile.HeachievedthesupremetitleofCholascalled
Parakesari.
RajendraI,agreatwarriorandassistedhisfather,isnumerousexpeditionstoelevatetheCholastosupremepower.The
variousexpeditions,heconducted,were:Gangeticexpedition,eastern/westernChalukyas,waragainstCheras/Pandyas,
Ceylonexpedition,Kadaram(currentlycalledasBurma)expeditionetc.,
HisempireextendedthewholeofsouthernIndiatoriverThungabathrainthenorthIndia,foradministrativeandstrategic
purposehebuiltanothercapitalandnamedGangaikondacholapuram.TheGangaikondacholapuramtemple,he
constructedconsistsof3storiesandsurroundedbyahugefortlikewall,theouterwallwasgreatlydestructedduringthe
Englishrule(1896A.D)toreusethebuildingmaterial(Graniterocks)forconstructingtheLowerAnicut(Damacrossriver
Kollidam).Hebuiltaround10templesatvariousplaces.
HeassumedthetitleofGangaikondaCholanandnamedhisnewcapitalasGangaikondacholapuramandhealso
constructedahugeLakeknownasCholaGangamthatspreads22kmmainlyusedfordrinkingandirrigation.Astatue
ofRajendraIisfoundinKolaramtempleatKolarofKarnatakastateinIndia.
Architecture
ThetemplewaslocatedatthecenteroftheGangaikondacholapuramcityandoccupiesaround6acresofland.
Thereseemstobe2PraharamssurroundingtheSrivimana,mostofthewallisdestructedandtheGraniterockswhere
usedtoconstructtheLowerAnicutduringtheBritishrule.Theremainsoftheseouterwallisverylessandonecan
judgetheactualsizeofthetempleifithadremained,whereasthesecondwallhasthegopuramcompletelydestructed
andfromtheheightoftheentranceonecouldestimatetheheightofthesecondgopuram.ArcheologicalSurveyof
IndiahasrenovatedtheSrivimanaandpainteditbeautifullyafterthechemicalcleaning.ThesightoftheSrivimana
fromthissecondentranceismagnificentandbeautiful.AwesternhistorianwhostudiedGangaikondacholesvaram
comparedthestructuraldifferenceofthisSrivimanawiththatofRajarajaI'sBrihadisvaratempleatThanjavurand
mentionedthatthisSrivimanaisoffemininestructureandtheTanjoreSrivimanaasmasculineinnature.Themain
differencethatisobviousisthisSrivimanahas8sided(Octagonal)instructureandThanjavurSrivimanahas4sided
(Quadragonal)instructure.
ThebasementofSrivimanais100feetby100feetandthefoundationissquareinstructureandraises20feet
abovethegroundlevel.The3lowerstageshousesmanybeautifulmasterpiecesculpturesofcholaperiodincludingthe
Laxmi(goddessofwealth),GanaSaraswathi(goddessofknowledge),Ardhanareeswarar(ShivaandSakthiinequalbutin
oneform),ShivablessingChandigeswararwithalongParvathi.Onehastoenjoythebeautyandtheeleganceandthese
finemasterpiecesbyvisitingGangaikondacholesvaramnowordsoreventhephotographsthatwehavetakenareonlyour
attempttobringthis1000yearoldartandarchitectureneartothereaders.
Therearemanyshrinesinsidethistemplefoundonthe2ndpraharam(circumventingpath),Mahisasuramardhini
shrine,Ammanshrine,Chandigeswararshrine,Ganapathyshrineetc.,TherewasNatarajaMandapamnowtotally
destroyedandonlytheremainswerefound.TherewerespecialPoojasforMahisasuramardhinieverymonth.
MaalikaiMedu(RuinsofRajendraCholaPalace)

TheemperorRajendraChola(1012A.D1044A.D)builtabigpalaceintheplaceofUtkottai,whereamoundeven
nowcalledMaalikaiMedu(Palacemound)inGangaikondacholapuramthecapitalofcholadynasty.Thebaseofthepalace
isfoundinMaalikaiMeduwhichis1.5kmawayfromtheBrihadisvaraTemple,Gangaikondacholapuram.Thebreadthofthe
palacewallis1mandbuiltbyusingonlythebricks.NowthepalaceismaintainedasaprotectedmonumentbytheTamil
NaduArchaeologicalSurvey(StateASI),tellingthatthepalacehadtwofloorsincludingsomesculptures,paintingsonthe
wall.Someofthebeautifulhandicraftsmadeupofelephantivory,bonesandChinesestylepaintedthingswerealsofound
inthepalace,provesthattheChineseaccompaniedwithTamilpeopleintheperiodofChola.Thethingsusedinthepalace
bytheperiodofcholaiskeptinthemuseumofGangaikondacholapuram.
MaalikaiMeduSculptures
DamagedstatueswerecollectedfromvariousplaceandlocatedintheMaalikaiMedu.NowitisprotectedbytheTamil
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ArchaeologyIndia

NaduArchaeologicalSurvey.

LingamandNandhi
Thalavirutcham
Vannitreeisthethalavirutchamofthistemple.Itisresidedinthenorthernpraharaofthetempleandreartotheshrine
ofChandigeswarar.

VanniTree
Theertham
CholaGangamTank

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