Gangaikonda Cholapuram photos | Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple photos
Gangaikonda Cholapuram
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" Gangaikondacholapuram, now in the Udaiyarpalayam taluk of Tiruchi district, in Tamilnadu, was erected as the capital of the Cholas by Rajendra I, the son and successor of Rajaraja I, the great Chola who conquered a large area in South India at the beginning of the 11th century A.D. It occupies an important place in the history of India. As the capital of the Cholas from about 1025 A.D. for about 250 years, the city controlled the affairs of entire south India, from the Tungabhadra in the north to Ceylon in the south. The great temple of Siva at this place is next only to the great temple of Tanjore in its monumental nature and surpasses it in sculptural quality.
The city was founded by the eminent Chola emperor probably to commemorate his victorious march to the Ganges and reflected his personality throughout the days of its eminence and continues to do so because of its great temple, though its role as a capital of the south has been forgotten by its inhabitants...
The temple of Gangaikondacholisvara is approached through the northern entrance from the road. The passage passes through the enclosure wall and leads on to the inner court.
As one steps in, the great Vimana arrests the visitor's sight. The Vimana with its recessed corners and upward movement presents a striking contrast to the straight-sided pyramidal tower of Tanjavur. As it rises to a height of 160 feet and is shorter than the Tanjavur tower, it is often described as the feminine counterpart of the Tanjavur temple.
The Vimana is flanked on either side by small temples; the one in the north now housing the Goddess is fairly well preserved. The small shire of Chandikesvara is near the steps in the north. In the north-east are a shire housing Durga, a well called lion-well (simhakeni) with a lion figure guarding its steps and a late mandapa housing the office. Nandi is in the east facing the main shrine. In the same direction is the ruined gopura, the entrance tower. The main tower surrounded by little shrines truly presents the appearance of a great Chakravarti (emperor) surrounded by chieftains and vassals. The Gangaikondacholapuram Vimana is undoubtedly a devalaya chakravarti, an emperor among temples of South India.
The enclosure
Though the temple of Gangaikondacholapuram follows the plan of the great temple of Tanjavur in most details it has an individuality of its own. From the remains it may be seen that it had only one enclosure wall and a gopura while the Tanjavur temple has two gopuras and enclosures.
The prakara follows the Tanjavur lay-out in that it had a two storeyed cloister running all around. Only a part of this has survived in the north. The stones from the other portions were utilised to build the Lower Anaicut across the Kollidam. The pillars of cut stone are severely plain throughout as in Tanjavur. They have no inscription unlike at Tanjavur.
The courtyard in 566'9'' in the length and 318'6" width and has a transept at the west in line with the main sanctum. The cloister has a raised platform, 18' in height. At regular intervals, bases for shrines are noticed. These shrines should have resembled the prakara shrines of Tanjavur and in all probability housed the images of the eight directional deities, in their appropriate quarters as in Tanjavur. However none of the images have survived. Evidently the prakara has been laid out in the traditional Vastu grid system called Vastupadavinyasa.
The Gopura
The entrance tower, the superstructure of which has completely fallen down, is located in the east. It measures about 68 feet x 46 feet with a 12 feet entry way. It followed in pattern the outer gopura of the Tanjavur temple, with no sculptures on its basse except for the Dvarapalas. The stones from the ruined gopura were removed to construct the dam mentioned earlier. In the temples of Tanjavur, Darasuram and Tribhuvanam, there are two gopuras, the outer being taller than the inner. But in Gangaikondacholapuram there is only one gopura, at the east. Besides this eastern entrance an entrance is provided in the northern enclosure, which now serves as the main entry on account of its priximity to the main road.
Dr. James C. Harle in his excellent work the 'Temple gateways in South India' states that
"the gopura of the great temple at Gangaikondacholapuram (A.D. 1030) belongs as far s one can tell in its present ruined state to the same early phase of development as the Tanjavur gopuras. It was neither as large or as complex, however, as the Tanjavur gopuras. On plan, the whole edifice forms a rectangle approximately 60 feet by 33 feet. Large dvarapals were placed on the outer facade. One of them now lies on the ground in front of the gopura and measures atleast seven feet. The unique dvara, as at Tanjavur, is on the outerside of the entryway. The vestibules have two storeys, divided by a crude and massive architrave; in the lower, an exposed stair is built against the back wall; above a doorway in the same wall may have led either to another stairway or to a circumambulatory corridor."
Dr. Harle further states that an early photograph (photo No. 2452 Indian Museum, Calcutta) shows the three upper storeys of the gopura, in a dilapidated condition.
A fairly large size bull is found on a pedestal inside the court, facing the main sanctum. It is made up of fallen stones and stucco. It is not known whether the original one was monolithic. A bali pitha is found east of Nandi.
The building to the north of Nandi, called Alankara mandapa, and now housing the executive office of the temple was in all probability constructed in the 19th century.