ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The Cholas also built many temples and numerous sculptures were also found. They include bronze image of Nataraja, the divine dancer Shiva, dancing the dance of death and destruction. The Chola rulers are remembered most for their creations rather than their ruling.. Chola rulers were active patrons of the arts, poetry, drama, music, and dance. They are known for constructing enormous stone temple complexes decorated inside and out with painted and sculpted representations of the Hindu gods.

Architecture developed rapidly under the Chola Empire. The temples that were constructed were magnificent to look at.  Another famous form of art was the bronze figurines that were crafted during this time. The craftsmen used to beautifully decorate the statues with garlands and jewelry while carving the statue itself.

Under the Cholas the Dravida style of temple architecture exclusive to the south, attained its most magnificent form. The main feature of this style was the building of between five to seven storeys above the chief deity room. A large elaborately carved pillared hall with flat roof was placed in front of the Sanctum. This Mandap acted as an audience hall and a place for various other ceremonies. Sometimes a passage was added around the sanctum for devotees to walk around it where images of many other Gods were placed. The entire structure was enclosed by high walls with very lofty gateways called Gopurams. The torus moulding in the basement, which is chamfered, is found in the earlier Chola temples,later it got rounded. The cornice was of flexed shape, and the exterior of the shrine walls had no extravagant sculptural decorations. Sub shrine for attendant divinities were another feature that helped in the development in temple complexes.

The earlier temples were modest in size. The later ones where large with Gopuras or Vimanas dominating the landscape.

Temple building activity continued even after the fall of the Cholas.

EARLY CHOLA

The Chola architect found great use of consistently applied pilasters, piers and (later) attached columns to bind together the distinct masses of the main structure. Niches appear on the west, north and south sides of the vimana on the square ground storey; one on either side of the ardha-mandapa and also at cardinal points on the girva, at the base of the circular or square shikara. The kumund is rounded and semi-circular and not ocatgonally chamfered. An elegantly carved frieze of serried heads of vyalis appears as part of the upper mouldings on the base. The kudus are topped by kirtimukhas (glory heads) in place of spade shaped finials. Decorative refinement is accomplished by panjaras (pavilion-like projections with their own kapotas and base mouldings). A small independent pavilion forms part of the architectural scheme on the southern side within the walled enclosure, later on leading to the erection of subsidiary free-standing shrines within the temple compound. The subordinate deities are housed in small independent shrines.

MEDIEVAL CHOLAS

The political supremacy of The Cholas suffered a temporary setback when the Rashtrakutas subdued them in 949CE. During this period the glory of the Chola architecture revealed itself in brief glimpses under the royal patronage of queen dowager Sembiam Mahadevi whose major contribution lies in restoration of old edifices and covering old brick structures with stone. The triple-storeryed Achalesvara at Tiruvarur owes its splendid form chiefly to the queen.

LATER CHOLA

During this period, all principal deities of the Hindu pantheon appear on the Chola temples; Shiva, the most popular deity in many a shrine; appears on the superstructure of many a shrine.