The Great Living Chola Temples in India

The Great Living Chola Temples are three granite temples dedicated to Shiva, that show the progressive development of Chola architecture and art. They illustrate the Chola civilization between the 10th and 13th centuries, which succeeded the Pallavan dynasty (that was responsible for Mahabalipuram) in South India.

The three included temples are:
- Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur: the earliest and most representative monument. Built 1003-1010, during the reign of king Rajaraja, the founder of the Chola Empire which stretched out over South India and the neighbouring islands.
- And the temples of Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram, built by his successors and following the main characteristics of the one in Thanjavur

Their layout is different from other South Indian temples, as the Vimana (sanctuary) is the highest point of the complex, not the Gopuram (gates). The tall Vimanas with many tiers as the core feature of the temples and the elaborate sculpted decoration represent the divinities and mythological figures related to the Tamil beliefs. 

In all three temples traditional religious rituals continue to be performed there by the general public. 

The city of Thanjavur has over 200,000 inhabitants, but its center feels much smaller and can easily be explored on foot. Signs guide you to the “Big Temple”, as they call it here. Maybe even the Tamils find “Brihadisvara Temple” too cumbersome, although they manage pretty well with their elaborate place names made up of dozens of syllables. I visited on a late afternoon. There was a steady flow of worshippers and daytrippers going into the temple complex. There’s no entrance fee, or limitations to non-Hindus. Only take your shoes off.

The entrance gate here is not the prettiest construction of the complex, but did already hold my gaze for a while. The decorations here clearly have a greater quality than those at Mahabalipuram, and it is easy to see how the sculptures here have influenced Angkor for example. After the second gate, awaits the large inner courtyard. It’s a vast open space. In the center stands a large black Nandi statue, covered under a pavilion (under construction at the moment). To the sides are smaller temples. The whole area has a festive air: there’s a temple elephant doing tricks, groups of friends are sitting on the grass and taking photos.

The monument at the end of the courtyard is the Temple’s masterpiece: the Vimana, an unbelievably high pyramidical tower, fully covered in sculptures. You really have to sit down to take it all in, it’s exuberant. There are so many little details to admire, and the state of conservation looked very good to me.

After I enjoyed all there is to see on the outside of the buildings, I put my camera away and went inside. Photographing isn’t allowed there. The Vimana contains many dark grey columns and some statues. Although the WHS is marketed as “Living” temples, I did not find the religious atmosphere as special as in Chidambaram for example (or maybe I had already got used to the sight of worshippers in their differently coloured loincloths).

I did not visit the other 2 temples that were added to the WHS later on. They are located 80kms or so away, and as they do not appear to be very different from the one in Thanjavur I decided not to go there.