The three great living Chola Temples

S Balakrishnan
Three temples built by three kings of the same Chola dynasty some 1000 years ago are all inscribed as UNESCO’s World Heritage Monuments!  As these three temples (all dedicated to Lord Shiva) are considered as the finest examples of the highly developed Chola Temple architecture of the Dravidian style some 1000 years back, they have been grouped as the ‘Great Living Chola Temples’. These three temples are classified as “Living Temples” because the tradition of temple worship and rituals established and practised over a thousand years ago, based on still older Agamic texts, continues to this very day on daily, weekly and annual basis, as an inseparable part of life of the people.
The Chola kings ruled in Tamil Nadu continuously for 450 years with great achievements in all fields of royal endeavour such as military conquest, efficient administration (including secret ballot), agriculture & irrigation, trade & commerce, and promotion of arts & crafts. No wonder these three temples were built during their reign. Built with dedication between the 11th and 12th centuries, these three temples are the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur (also known as the Big Temple), the Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondacholisvaram(a smaller version of the Big Temple), and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, in that order.  All these three temples, like most of the Tamil Nadu temples, are built of solid granite, though there is no hill in the vicinity. It is a wonder how and where from the required massive stones weighing tons were sourced! For instance, the Big Temple’s tower alone rises to more than 200 ft height! No wonder it is called the Big Temple.    
The Big Temple of Thanjavur is a testimony to the greatest achievement of the Chola architects and Tamil culture. Praised as DakshinaMeru, the construction of this temple was inaugurated by the Chola King, Rajaraja I (ruled 985-1012/1014 CE), possibly in his 19th regal year (1003-1004 CE) and was consecrated six years later by his own hands in 1009-1010 CE. Besides huge and excellent stone sculptures, the Big Temple has murals and beautiful bronze idols as well.
The second Brihadisvara Temple was built in a smaller version by Rajendra I, the son of Rajaraja I. As if not to diminish the fame of his father’s Big Temple, Rajendra I (who ruled from 1012/1014 to 1044 CE) built a comparatively smaller temple for Shiva at Gangaikondacholisvaram, his new capital, some 70 kms away from Thanjavur. He created this new capital city after his victorious march upto the Ganges in north India. The Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram, built by Rajendra I, was completed in 1035. Its 53-m vimana (sanctum tower) has recessed corners and a graceful upward curving movement, contrasting with the straight and severe tower at Thanjavur. Though smaller in size, this temple also has beautiful sculptures/idols of stone and bronze metal. This small but graceful replica temple is said to be the feminine form of the Big Temple of Thanjavur.
The third in the group, the Airavateswarar temple, was built by Raja RajaChola II(reigned 1143-1173) in Darasuram, some 40 kms north-east of Thanjavur. Built a hundred years later in the 12th century, this temple differs completely from the other two temples. Modelled like a chariot, it is comparatively flat. The front mandap has countless intricate sculptures based on the epics/puranas that are sheer poetry in stone, to use the cliché.The main tower above the sanctum sanctorum is 24m tall. The whole of the Airavatesvara temple complex had been entirely built at the same time with no later additional structures, and remains in its original form.  
Inscribed by UNESCO as World Heritage Monuments, the Three Great Living Chola Temples in Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram are an exceptional and the most outstanding testimony to the temple architecture of the Chola Empire and the Tamil civilisation. Seeing is believing!
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