THE CHOLA HERITAGE

               THE CHOLA HERITAGE

Adoor Gopalakrishnan is an illustrious Malayalam Director who proved his expertise in

both Commercial and Art films.The Chola Heritage,one of his famous documentaries,is an impeccable

portraiture of Chola Temple Architecture.Dravidian Building Art attained its pinnacle of development

under The Cholas.The Kings of Chola Dynasty were well-known Temple Builders.Numerous Shrines took

shape in and around The Chola Empire.Their aesthetic potential along with their grit and valiance made

The Cholas stand among the longest reigned South Indian Rulers.Under their supervision great art and

culture burgeoned in India.Temples and Literature had their heyday during the Patronage of these

inimitable rulers.Chola Empire was founded by Vijayalaya.After defeating the Pallavas,Cholas ascended

to throne and had a tremendous reign from 9th to 13th century.Sangham Literature flourished under

their rule.Aditya-I,Parantaka-I,Rajaraj Chola,Rajendra Chola were among the prominent rulers of this

Dynasty.Their flag of victory was brought down by the Conquest of Pandyas in the 13th Century.With all

its Cultural Tapestry and Artistic Complexity Cholas marked a grand Period in the history of Medieval

India. Coming to the Temple Architecture,the fecundity of the Cholas should be admired.The

utmost prominence Cholas gave to the construction of Temples was owing to their political,religious and

cultural significance.Cholan Temples have become the Paragon of Dravidian Architectural

Excellence.

They were the centers for most of the social and religious gatherings.Eventually Temples

became the cynosure of the Empire.The Temples were also great educational centers wherein children

were taught Vedas and Scriptures.An aura of divinity and Sanctity surrounded the Chola Temples.But

during wars and Political turmoil,these religious places turned themselves into secular refuge uniting all

of the subjects irrespective of their caste and creed .Art,Religion,Literature and what not?Every

enterprise under the sun flourished in the fertile soil of The Cholas.Lord Shiva was the chief God among

all of the Gods and Goddesses of this Era.Subsequently,many Shiva Temples took shape along the River

Kaveri.UNESCO considered many of Chola sites to be World Heritage Sites.Sculpting in Bronze was one

of the unique charms of the Chola Period.They were also great men of letters. The unequivocal literary

superiority of the Sangam Literature which flourished during this period holds testimony to this

fact.

Sangam Literature is considered to be the oldest of Dravidian Literature written in Archaic Tamil

Language. The movie begins with a sophisticated view of the 'Mandapas' of the temples which

were vague yet conspicuous,beautiful yet confounding.This magic is evident throughout the film!What

else can be more attractive in a Shiva temple than the well-embellished, awe-inspiring Nandi which

arouses reverence even in the least aesthetic viewer.Later the Panoramic view of the Temples are

shown.Though time had its marks on the temples,they stand erect enduring all those blows of harsh

weather and hostile adversaries.The way in which the film maker captured the minute intricacies of the

sculptures deserves a special acclaim.The temple of Vijayalaya Choleswar bears testimony to all those

aforementioned accolades of Chola architecture.The main Shrine shaped in a circle was fortified by a

square Prakar.It is accompanied by seven sub-shrines to accentuate its majesty.This arrangement is said to be the typical Chola Architecture.Visit the temple and you'll be prompted to bow in front of such a

magnificent construction!

The unique architectural genius of the Sculptors manifested in the remarkable

Sculptures found in the Temple of Nageswar at Kumbakona.The ornamentation was very subtly carved

and it was a pleasant sight to look at.The figures were very tall and formidable.The Relic Sculptures of

Chola Period were found in the Temple of Koranganath.All of these temples show fine workmanship and

depict various stages of the Cholas’ Building Art.It was said that during the reign of King Raja Raja,many

moderate temples took form in various parts of the empire.

One of these is Thiruvaleeswaram Temple

built by Raja Raja in 1010 AD .This temple is notable for its iconography.Brihadeeswara Temple at

Tanjavur is the landmark of Cholan Architecture.The Nandi Mandapa has the finest of Monolithic

statues.It is a Masterpiece not only of Cholas but also of the entire Temple Architecture in general.The

film maker deftly depicted all of these temples and their splendid structures. The Temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram by Raja Raja's successor and son Rajendra was of

great prominence.The dwarapalas and the unique carvings which depict Gandhara Art were of great

significance.Though he was proud to bring the water of Ganges to his Capital to celebrate his victory

over the Kings of The North,in this temple he humbly submits himself at the feet of Lord Shiva and

places the crown of glory at the Nataraja's feet.Perhaps Dharasuram is the richest of Chola Temples.

The artistic decoration,embellishment and the sculptures in various shapes and sizes never fail to proclaim

the grandeur of The Chola Empire.The Damsels who were chiseled out of the Craftsman's imagination

were brimming with feminine grace and depict the aesthetics of The Cholas.The Gateways and

Gopurams at Chidambaram portray the dance moves formulated by Bharatha in Natyasastra.This movie

is definitely a masterpiece which vividly paints the Chola Architecture through its evolution by giving

much importance to its intricate carvings and its formidable Sculptures.

-Santhwana Thomas