CHOLA ARCHITECTURE

PERIOD: 900 A.D. - 1150 A.D.

(Dravida style)
Contemporary: Indo-Aryan Styles (Orissa, Khajuraho, Gwalior etc.)
ENVIRONMENT
 Flourished in Tanjore (capital) and Gangaikondacholapuram in Tamil Nadu
 Hard stones - granite and basalt are used.
SOCIAL HISTORY
 After the decline of Pallava, Chola Dynasty came to rule and extended the territory to the north
upto the Ganga and to south upto Srilanka and part of Burma
 Political settlement, vast resource, interests in art, architecture made great contributions
ARCHITECTURE
 The style of architecture evolved from the Pallava style, followed the Shilpa and Vastu Shastra &
developed into a distinct style
 Not many temples were built but qualitative development manifested in the monumental
structural temples in structure and intricacies
TEMPLES:
 Major deviation from Pallava showed in
o Column capitals: a “kalasa” motif below padmabandhan and much extended thin square
abacus with flower like necking
o Lion motif disappeared instead supernatural animals depicting mythology were carved
o Monumentality
 Temples of earlier phase were smaller in size and some old temples of brick and timber were
converted in stone
 Two major examples are: Brihadeswara temple, Tanjore & Brihadeswara temple,
Gangaikondacholapuram – both are Shiva temple
 Spatial arrangement
o Temple complex –
 built along a main axis (E-W) from gopuram to garbhagriha both horizontally
and vertically and all other structures were aligned on the same axis
 Complex consists of cloister, inner and outer prakara ( open to sky Pradakshina
patha), Amman shrine ( the consort godess located left of the main temple,
intricately ornate), detached nandi-mandapa, other shrines, one or series of
gopuram etc.
 Gopuram – one or series of short and fully stone gopurams
o Main temple:
 Vimana type ( sandhara or closed p.p.) : Sandhara vimana or square garbhagriha
with pradakshina patha and a tower above, large many - pillared sabha-mandapa,
ardha-mandapa
 ornamentations
o Sculptures were developed from bas – relief to nearly free standing full -size statues of
different poses
o Paintings also made distinct progress (Tanjore painting)
o The exterior developed with pilasters, niches and sculptured panels in a simplified and
accurate order
o Intricate jewel like carvings of different motifs
 Structural system
o Granite stone accurately dressed, coursed and bonded

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 Exterior: Three parts of vimana: plinth, body of the temple (panels with bold carvings, niches
and pilasters ), shikhara ( a bold string course similar to roll – cornice separating body and
shikhara)
 Shikhara – pyramidal in shape, diminishing courses with intricate motifs of “kudu” , “kuta” and
“sala”
EXAMPLE: Brihadeswara temple, Tanjore
 Main temple: 60 m tall vimana on 30 m x 30 m base, of dressed granite stone, axially aligned on
E-W, eastern entrance, large sabha-mandapa, excellent carvings
 Temple complex: inner and outer prakara, two gopuram on the east of fully stone, cloister,
Amman shrine, other temples etc.

THE CHOLA DYNASTY AND THEIR ARCHITECTURE

 The period of the imperial Cholas (c. 850 C.E. - 1250 C.E.) was an age of
continuous improvement and refinement of the Dravidian art and architecture.
 They utilised their prodigious wealth earned through their extensive conquests in
building long-lasting stone temples and exquisite bronze sculptures.

 The Cholas continued the temple building traditions of the Pallava dynasty and
elevated the Dravidian temple design to heights never reached before.

 The evolution of the temple architectural styles can be divided into three phases -
the early phase starting with Vijayalaya Chola, the middle phase of Rajaraja Chola
and Rajendra Chola

 Cholas built many secular buildings such as public utility buildings and palaces. The
golden palace Aditya Karikala built for his father Sundara Chola is an example.

Early Chola Period

The first seeds of Dravidian temple architecture can be justifiably claimed to have been
sown during Pallavas period.The temple architecture evolved from the early cave temples
and monolith temples of Mamallapuram to the magestic Kylasanatha and Vaikuntaperumal
temples of Kanchipuram. This architecture style formed the foundation, which the Cholas,
who were in close contact with the Pallavas during their periods of decline.

The early Cholas built 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
probably were brick structures rather than stone. The style of this structure clearly shows
the Pallava influences in the design. It has an unusual arrangement of a circular cella
(where the deity resides) within a square prakara - circumbulatory corridor. Above this rises
the vimana or the tower in four diminishing storeys of which the lower three are square and
the top circular. Each level is separated from the next by a cornice. The whole structure is
surmounted by a dome which in turn is topped with a stone kalasa - a crest. Very faint
traces of paintings can be seen inside on the walls.

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 VIJAYALA
CHOLESHWARAM

The architectural style of the temple Muvarkovil - Temple of

three, also in the Pudukkottai area built by a feudatory of
Parantaka Chola II during the second half of the tenth century
exhibit clear concordance with the later Chola temples.

MUVARKOVIL - TEMPLE OF THREE

Middle Period

 Temple building received great impetus from the conquests and the genius of
Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola I.
 The maturity and grandeur to which the Chola architecture had evolved found
expression in the two maginificent Siva temples of Tanjavur
(1009 C.E) and Gangaikondacholapuram.

 The Tanjore Brihadisvara Temple is noticed for the two

gopuras (towers oriented in the same direction. In spite of the
massive size of the gopuras the vimana, rising majestically to
a height of 190 feet, continues to dominate and it is only in the
subsequent period that a change in the gradation of
magnitude takes place.

DETAIL OF THE MAIN GOPURA (TOWER) OF

THE THANJAVUR TEMPLE

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 The temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the creation of Rajendra Chola,
was completed around 1030 C.E., only two decades after the Temple at
Thanjavur

Though The temple of Gangaikondacholapuram follows the plan of the great

temple of Tanjavur difference lies inthe 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.

GANGAIKONDACHOLAPURA
M C. 1030 C.E.

Later Period

The Airavateswarar temple(12th century C.E )at Darasuram near Thanjavur and the
Kampaharesvara temple at Tribhuvanam near Kumbakonam.

The Airavateswarar temple was built during the reign of Rajaraja Chola II. This temple
has the most artistic stone pillars and decorations on its walls, in a style bordering on
mannerism, with an emphasis on elongated limbs and polished features. Best among them
are the dark black basalt figures in the temple niches of Dakshinamurti, The front
mandapam is in the form of a huge chariot drawn by horses.

AIRAVATESWARAR TEMPLE,
DARASURAM C. 1200 C.E.